Florida community 'stuffs' buses for people in need
Residents help fill 14 Manatee County School District buses with 84,050 pounds of food as part of a "Stuff the Bus" event. The district organizes a group of volunteers to get the food into the buses and over to a local food bank.
BRADENTON, Fla. — Manatee County residents showed their support for people in need this past weekend, helping to fill 14 Manatee County School District buses with 84,050 pounds of food as part of a "Stuff the Bus" event.
The buses were parked in front of 14 Manatee County Publix supermarkets on Saturday, and in front of The Food Bank of Manatee on Sunday.
“I am feeling total joy,” Cindy Sloan, director of The Food Bank, told reporters for Bradenton.com. “What this confirms is that the generosity of Manatee County residents is great. They just donated their hearts out.”
Manatee County School District organized a group of volunteers to get the food into the buses and over to the food bank. District athletes, coaches and members of its junior high ROTC team were among the people who helped.
“People said they appreciated us being there,” Lori Cones, an accounting clerk in the school district’s vehicle maintenance department, told the news source.
Cones, along with transportation coordinator Terri Dingler and administrative secretary Dorothy Braun, came up with the idea to use the district’s school buses to collect food last year.
More Management
Have School Districts Adapted to Bus Driver Shortages or Simply Accepted Less Service?
According to a recent report from HopSkipDrive, many districts appear to have recalibrated what "normal" transportation service looks like.
Read More →
Reliable Transportation Linked to Better Student Outcomes, New EverDriven Study Finds
See why new research suggests transportation consistency improves student outcomes while influencing attendance, funding, IEP compliance, and family trust.
Read More →
Switzer-CARTY Enters the U.S. with New Acquisition
The Canadian contractor’s acquisition of Minnesota-based Agnes Corporation marks its first cross-border expansion into the United States and adds 350 vehicles.
Read More →
BusRight Adds New Rider Tracking Technology
Safety Pass is an NFC-based student ridership tracking solution that provides real-time boarding and drop-off data to improve school bus safety and family communication.
Read More →
EverDriven Launches RideAware App With Real-Time Student Ride Visibility
The updated platform’s new features improve communication among caregivers, districts, and drivers while streamlining trip updates.
Read More →
How School Transportation Departments Can Help Acclimate New Riders to the Bus
Here's how transportation departments can turn first-day jitters into confidence for students and parents alike.
Read More →
Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Nearly 90 Years of Safely Transporting Wisconsin Students
From one farmer's act of service to a fourth-generation family business, Kobussen Buses reflects on nearly 90 years of earning the trust of Wisconsin families.
Read More →
Changing Lanes: AMF Bruns, Pro-Vision, CALSTART, HopSkipDrive, & Kooner
Check out who's been hired, promoted, and appointed to leadership positions at various school transportation industry suppliers and nonprofits.
Read More →
NCST Announces 18th Congress Event Dates, New Committees
The National Congress on School Transportation moves to St. Louis in May 2029, convening delegates and industry representatives to discuss new best practice recommendations. Now, the new committee chairs have been named.
Read More →
Key Moments from the 2026 NSTA Annual Meeting in the Mile High City
From federal policy updates and OEM presentations to speed networking and industry awards, see photos and highlights from the contractor association’s summer conference in Denver.
Read More →