For the City Times

The Stuff the School Bus Committee for South Wood County has announced changes to its annual school supply distribution event for 2015.

This year, families who wish to participate will be required to per-register, which will significantly reduce the amount of time standing in line. In the past, participants waited in line for as long as two hours.

Families can per-register from now until August 1st. Applications have been distributed to all students in the Nekoosa, Port Edwards and Wisconsin Rapids school districts, sent home either in the weekly folders or via monthly newsletters.

Applications can be picked up at the following locations: Boys and Girls Club of the Wisconsin Rapids Area (as well as the Mead, Nekoosa and Port Edwards locations), United Way of Inner Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools Central Office. An application can also be downloaded from www.uwiw.org. Applications cannot be mailed.

Applications must be returned to United Way of Inner Wisconsin (351 Oak Street, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494) by August 1, 2015. Later that month families will receive a postcard informing them of their time slot for pick up.

Stuff the Bus will be asking local businesses and individuals to collect/donate school supplies from July 13 – August 6, 2015. School supplies will be dropped off at the supply drive on August 6 during Lunch by the River at Veteran’s Memorial Park, 11:30 AM- 1 PM.

School supplies will be distributed to students in need during the Stuff the Desk event on August 15 at Lincoln High School, 1801 16th St. South from 8-11:30 AM.

Stuff the School Bus is a community collaborative effort to collect and distribute school supplies to students in need. All families who are in financial need are eligible.

For more information, please contact United Way’s 2-1-1.

About Stuff the School Bus/Stuff the Desk

Stuff the School Bus is a collaborative effort of several local non-profit, government and school agencies including the Boys and Girls Club of the Wisconsin Rapids Area, Caring Closet, the Family Center, Inc., Nekoosa School District, Port Edwards School District, the UW Extension Office, United Way of Inner Wisconsin and Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools.