Glanville Hosts School Supplies Drive, Supports West Michigan Students Through United Way ‘Stuff the Bus’ Campaign

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Aug. 13, 2026 — Last week, state Rep. Carol Glanville (D-Walker) delivered school supplies to Heart of West Michigan United Way, joining their team to help unpack the collective donations from their “Stuff the Bus” campaign. For the past two weeks, Glanville has collected school supplies in her personal collection box available at Walker Ice and Fitness Center, all of which will go to support local students in the greater Grand Rapids area. In total, the community collected over 55,000 items, filling three school buses from top to bottom. The items include critical classroom supplies, from antibacterial wipes and tissues to backpacks, notebooks and calculators.

“When kids can walk in the classroom the first day of school and they have a new backpack, a clean box of crayons and all the supplies they need, it builds their confidence, helps them feel comfortable with their peers and gets them a great start to the school year,” Glanville said. “Oftentimes it’s teachers who fill the gaps. I did that many times over the years myself. It’s something you don’t even think about as a teacher because we are there for the kids and whatever the kids need. This time, that is what the community is going to do for them too. That’s what makes United Way’s ‘Stuff the Bus’ so fantastic. It’s wonderful to have the community wrap around our kids, our educators and our schools; making sure everyone gets a strong start to the school year.”

Glanville’s participation in the donation drive comes after she presented a $15,000 donation to Heart of West Michigan United Way, with $3,000 earmarked specifically for the ‘Stuff the Bus’ event. These donations will help support their key initiatives throughout the year to combat poverty, provide essential resources to West Michigan families and empower students to succeed.

“We are so thrilled with the incredible response to ‘Stuff the Bus’ this year,” said Michelle Van Dyke, president and CEO of Heart of West Michigan United Way. “Our community came together to make sure students across West Michigan have the supplies they need to start the school year off strong. We are grateful to Representative Carol Glanville for sponsoring ‘Stuff the Bus’ and helping make this community-wide effort possible. Her support, along with the generosity of donors and partners throughout our region, will make a meaningful difference for students, families and schools.”

“Heart of West Michigan United Way truly embodies public service. Their commitment to stabilizing and uplifting families living with income constraints has transformed the lives of so many in the Grand Rapids region. It’s my pleasure to support Heart of West Michigan United Way’s ‘Stuff the Bus’ campaign and engage with our community to send every child back to school feeling prepared and ready to learn with full backpacks in the fall,” Glanville concluded.

###

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.