From sneakers to notebooks, community drives boost MCPS students

Photo credit: Andy Filmore

The “Stuff the Bus” and “Mission: Bus Brigade” drives recently wrapped up campaigns to provide school supplies for needy students starting the 2025-26 school year.

Both efforts collected supplies and turned them over to Marion County Public Schools — and, in at least one case, a charter school — for distribution to students typically selected by school counselors.

Thomas Butler, the district’s homeless liaison, said that heading into the 2025-26 school year, the district has “over 1,600” students considered homeless.

In a July 7, 2025, Ocala Gazette article, Butler reported that last school year, “102 students were living in emergency or transitional shelters, 1,007 were sharing housing due to hardship, 133 were in temporary living conditions such as cars or parks and 314 were living in hotels and motels.”

“Stuff the Bus,” ongoing for 27 years, is led by the Kingdom of the Sun Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America and supported by the local veterans community.

Retired Army Col. Craig Ham, president of the Kingdom of the Sun chapter, has spearheaded the Stuff the Bus drive for about seven years.

Ham called Stuff the Bus a “year round, 100 percent volunteer” effort. He said he and his grandson stuffed pencil boxes, and in June, NJROTC from Vanguard High School stuffed 800 backpacks. Volunteers continued the effort into summer.

Ham said he delivered 25 backpacks loaded with school supplies to every MCPS elementary and middle school and at least one charter school.

He said 80 volunteers met at Gill Logistics in July and packed 5,000 donated bags with school materials provided by Stuff the Bus to be distributed at five locations as part of a community “give back” organized by the Ocala Marion County Community Foundation.

“The (Marion County) community and veterans have a big heart for needy kids. We touched about 6,700 students in total this year,” he said.

The final pickup for Stuff the Bus this summer was at Del Webb Spruce Creek on Aug. 8.

Ami Newland and Sarah Mills, with Leland Management Company, turned over a load of notebooks, markers, backpacks and more to Ham for this year’s drive or to start next year’s effort.

The materials were collected in large, laundry-type bins placed in the lobby of the Del Webb Spruce Creek community.

“We had to empty the bin every day,” Mills said.

Meanwhile, “Mission: Bus Brigade,” a drive undertaken by Marion County government employees and members of county constitutional offices, completed its effort and announced results Aug. 5.

“This year’s results were record-breaking: a total of 23,872 items were collected, far surpassing last year’s total of 17,572. From backpacks and notebooks to crayons and calculators, the supplies will make a real difference for students in need,” a Marion County Board of County Commissioners news release stated.

“As in years past, all collected items will be distributed through MCPS’s Homeless and Needy Children’s Program, ensuring resources reach students who need them most. This countywide show of generosity highlights the long-standing commitment of Marion County employees and constitutional offices to supporting youth and education throughout the region,” according to the release.

Mission: Bus Brigade made a stop at the Stone Creek community before its final tally on Aug. 5, and resident Donna Farrell reported in an email that in addition to “boxes and bags full of school supplies“ residents gave with “an added focus on shoes, socks, underwear and personal hygiene items.”

“The donors rose to the challenge,” Farrell wrote.

Farrell said this is the fifth year Stone Creek has supported the effort and that a raffle, silent auction and bake sale were held to raise donations.

Dr. Allison Campbell, District 1 School Board member, joined Mission: Bus Brigade staff, student volunteers and residents at the gathering, Farrell wrote.

Stone Creek residents are already making plans for next year’s drive, Farrell said.

Kevin Christian, director of public relations for Marion County Public Schools, discussed the importance of the materials donated through both initiatives in an email.

“From school supplies to sneakers, sweatshirts, and more, the generous spirit of local residents literally sets the tone for students to succeed in school,” he said. “Both “Mission: Bus Brigade” and “Stuff the Bus” benefit our homeless students year-round. Supplies are typically shared by school counselors, who know students in need the most,” Christian wrote in an email.

“Thousands of students are better prepared to succeed in school because of these programs and local residents,” Christian wrote.