School supply drive in Moscow, Pullman, Colfax to run through Saturday

MOSCOW — Back-to-school shopping can become expensive quickly, especially when parents are buying for multiple children.

The Kiwanis Clubs in Moscow and Pullman are hoping to ease parents’ burden this week with their annual Stuff the Bus drive.

People can donate school supplies through Saturday by bringing items to the school buses parked outside Staples in Moscow, the Wheatland Mall in Pullman and the Rosauers in Colfax. Today and Saturday’s donation times begin at 10 a.m.

At the Moscow bus Thursday, Moscow School District employees and Kiwanis Club volunteers were on hand to collect supplies. Gritman Medical Center had already donated 82 new backpacks to the cause.

Paradise Creek Regional High School Principal Brian Smith said the Moscow School District collects the donated supplies and gives them directly to students who request them “so the first day of school, there’s no one sitting at their desk without the things they need.”

“I think that’s why this is so valuable is it’s directly from donation to the source of need,” he said,

MSD Superintendent​Shawn Tiegs said even simple supplies like crayons and pencils can add up on a family’s grocery bill. If they are buying for multiple students, it can get “really overwhelming.”

West Park Elementary School Principal Marianne Sletteland said school supplies are needed throughout the year and not just at the beginning. She said when a school registers a new student in the middle of the year, that child gets to “shop” in the school’s supply closet for the items they need.

Moscow Kiwanis Club treasurer Louise Regelin said the Moscow Stuff the Bus drive collected more than $9,000 in school supplies last year. This year, they are also accepting gently used music instruments, she said.

Smith encouraged families to reach out to their schools if they need supplies.

Tiegs said the Stuff the Bus drive is meant to help children have a positive experience in their school “where they don’t feel compared to other kids and they know they can be successful.”

“When you fill up that bus, that’s what happens,” Tiegs said.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.