Starting the School Year With Support and Financial Confidence

The start of a new school year brings a long list of preparations. Having access to backpacks, clothing, books, and other essentials can help students enter the classroom feeling supported and ready to learn.

That preparation is at the heart of Stuff the Bus, an annual school supply drive and block party hosted by Communities In Schools of Tacoma. The effort begins before the event as local businesses and organizations collect new supplies for Tacoma Public Schools students, then culminates in a free giveaway where families can select needed items and connect with community resources.

In the weeks leading up to the event, TAPCO Credit Union branches served as school supply collection sites. Members and community members were invited to stop by and donate supplies for local students. Communities In Schools, with help from Old Navy volunteers, collected the donated items and prepared them for distribution.

Those donations became part of Stuff the Bus, a free school supply giveaway hosted by Communities In Schools of Tacoma at Blix Elementary School in Tacoma, WA. The event brought supplies, clothing, books, backpacks, free haircuts, meals, and community resources together in one place for students and families.

Families were able to move through the space and select the items they needed while connecting with organizations serving the Tacoma community. Students explored tables filled with school supplies and books as parents learned about resources available to support their families throughout the school year. 

The event showed the full impact of the collection drive. Items that community members brought into TAPCO branches became resources that students could carry into their classrooms and use throughout the year.

Connecting Families with Financial Resources

TAPCO also joined families at Stuff the Bus to share information about financial resources available to students and their families. For many parents, the conversation started with a simple question: How can we help our kids get started early?

Financial education can begin at a young age. Learning about saving, setting goals, and making decisions about money can help young people build familiarity and confidence over time. Families at the event learned about TAPCO youth accounts and resources that can help parents introduce their children to banking.

Many parents shared that they wanted to give their children an early start and were interested in learning more about the financial resources available to their families.

Education, finances, and career goals often grow alongside one another. As students move through school and begin thinking about what comes next, understanding how to manage money and knowing where to turn for guidance can become part of that journey.

Stuff the Bus demonstrated what can happen when resources are brought into the same space and made accessible to families. Students are beginning the school year with backpacks and supplies while also starting journeys that will shape their goals, opportunities, and futures. As their needs and questions evolve, TAPCO is here as a resource to help families continue building financial knowledge and confidence.

What the Community Made Possible

The support extended far beyond any one donation, booth, or conversation. The final results offer a fuller picture of what the community made possible for students and families:

Behind these numbers are students beginning the year with essential supplies, families connecting with community resources, and hundreds of people giving their time and support to help make it possible.

Thank you to the members, community donors, volunteers, collection sites, board members, staff, partners, vendors, Communities In Schools of Tacoma, Old Navy volunteers, Blix Elementary School, Tacoma Public Schools, TPS District Patrol, and everyone who contributed to Stuff the Bus 2026.

The impact reflects what can happen when a community works together to help students begin the school year feeling supported, prepared, and confident.