United Way - Stuff the Bus Event/Back-2-School Backpack Program

For immediate release: June 25, 2020

KEARNEY, NE - United Way of the Kearney Area and Dobytown Kiwanis are partnering up to help children get ready to go back to school. Together, they collect school supplies from the community and then distribute them to families in need within United Way's service area.

Everyone in the Kearney area is welcome to donate school supplies for children grades Pre-K through 12th. Donations of school supplies can be dropped off during the Stuff the Bus event at Walmart on July 17-19 or at the United Way office any time before July 30th. Additional collection boxes can be found at First National Bank of Omaha and Dollar General (west location) in Kearney.

These school supplies will be used to pack 1,300 backpacks for United Way’s Back-2-School backpack program for children who qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This year, we are also partnering with Buffalo County Goodfellows, Kearney Elks and Noon Kiwanis to include registrations for Coats for Kids. These organizations invite churches, other service organizations and community members to collaborate in an effort to help enhance this program by raising funds for coats to be distributed in the fall. Anyone wishing to sponsor a coat for a child can submit donations of $20 per coat to United Way of the Kearney Area.

Registration for the backpacks and coats is happening now through July 19th. Registrations can easily be completed online by visiting www.uwka.org/back-2-school-2020 or calling the United Way office at 308-237-6840.

Volunteers will be working with members of Dobytown Kiwanis and United Way of the Kearney Area to stuff the backpacks full of school supplies Monday, Aug. 3 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. in the Horizon Middle School Gymnasium.

Families will be able to pick up backpacks on Aug. 4 and 5 in the Horizon Middle School Gymnasium. Tuesday, Aug. 4, pickup will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Wednesday, Aug. 5, pickup will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Coats will be distributed at a later time by Buffalo County Goodfellows.

If you would like to volunteer to stuff backpacks on Aug. 3 or hand out backpacks on Aug. 4-5, you can sign up for a spot by calling the United Way office at 308-237-6840.

Dobytown Kiwanis has been giving children in need a free backpack with school supplies since 1993 and later partnered with the United Way of the Kearney Area to bring the Back-2-School program to the Kearney Area. This program is made possible by local sponsors and donations.

For more information about United Way of the Kearney Area please visit www.uwka.org, follow us on Facebook (@unitedwayka), Instagram (@unitedway_kearneyarea) or Twitter (@uwka).