Community Transit Stuffs a Bus for Families in Need

In the rush of the holiday season, many of us forget how very fortunate we are. Sometimes it takes special people in the community to remind us of what's important. Last weekend Community Transit was honored to be part of a community that believes in making a difference. Enthusiastic employee volunteers greeted shoppers with holiday cheer at the Snohomish Fred Meyer, encouraging them to help us Stuff a Bus for charity.

And did they ever! The generosity of our community was a humbling and wonderful thing to witness. Some families shocked us by donating entire shopping carts. Small children shyly handed us special toys they picked out for another child to receive. Still other shoppers handed us a jar of peanut butter or a bag of rice saying they wish they could do more. From the largest gifts to the smallest, our community came together to give what they could to those who are struggling.

Through our partnership with Volunteers of America, Everett Transit, and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1576, we were able to fully stuff a 30' bus with non-perishable food, toys, and baby necessities. In one weekend alone, our community generously donated over 1,800 pounds of food, nearly 350 pounds of clothes, hygiene and baby items, and 365 pounds of gifts worth over $4,000. There were also cash donations nearing $350.

The bus was driven to the Volunteers of America Sultan location which services families in desperate need in north Snohomish County. Thank you to everyone who so generously gave so that the most vulnerable in our community find relief. Your kindness highlights the true meaning of the holiday season, bringing others comfort, peace, and joy.

Community Transit Stuffs a Bus with Holiday Cheer for Charity

Each year during the holiday season, so many families rely on the generosity of their communities to help feed their families and give their children a little bit of the season's magic. Community Transit is thankful to be part of a community that values service to its residents, from the youngest to the oldest. It has never been more evident to us how very generous our community is than during our charity outreach last weekend for Stuff a Bus.

This holiday season, Community Transit partnered with Volunteers of America, Everett Transit, and Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1576 to help stuff a bus with food and toys for families in need. On December 10th and 11th, shoppers at the Fred Meyer in Snohomish were greeted with a decked-out Community Transit bus and cheerful Community Transit employee volunteers who handed out wish list items for desperately-needed, non-perishable food, toys, and baby items. The response from our community was overwhelming! Not only was our bus stuffed to the rooftop, we also filled Oxy Gene's van!

The bus was driven to the Volunteers of America Sultan location which services north Snohomish County. It took a half-dozen Community Transit employee volunteers and 20 VOA volunteers a solid hour to unload the bus. Everyone was surprised and delighted at just how very kind and charitable our community is. Donations far surpassed what Volunteers of America had hoped for. In one weekend, we helped to collect 3,000 lbs of food and over $6,000 in toys, as well as clothing, cash, and baby items. The diapers that were collected meet the agency's need for an entire year!

Community Transit employees were so moved by the outpouring of support from the community for the Stuff a Bus program. From single bags of rice to entire shopping carts filled with food and necessities, it was a privilege to witness the holiday spirit as those that could give, gave what they could. Volunteers of America is using these donations to stock its food banks to fill holiday food baskets distributed by the agency to those families in Snohomish County who are in desperate need. Toys will be distributed through the agency's holiday program, where families are invited to choose a gift for their children so that every child has something to open during the holidays.