OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Marion County is once again partnering with Marion County Public Schools (MCPS) for the Mission: Bus Brigade School Supply Drive, a community-wide initiative to collect new school supplies for local students in need. The drive officially launched at a recent county commission meeting and will run through the end of July.

Now an annual tradition, the Bus Brigade helps support hundreds of students experiencing homelessness or economic hardship across the county. All donated supplies will be presented to MCPS during the commission meeting on Aug. 5.

“This is a huge endeavor, and we encourage our community to drop off supplies at our county locations to help support it,” said County Commission Chairman Kathy Bryant. “There are many supply drives this time of year, but this is the only one that directly benefits students in our public schools who are homeless. We’re looking forward to our first meeting in August and have a goal of collecting more than 30,000 items.”

County departments will also engage in a friendly internal competition to see which team can collect the most donations.

Requested items include:

Filler paper (wide and college ruled)
Spiral notebooks (1, 3, 5-subject)
Colored pencils, markers (wide and thin)
Erasers, rulers, glue sticks
Graph paper, zipper binders
Pens (blue and black), scissors (blunt and pointed)
Index cards, pencils (#2 wood)
Hygiene products, deodorant (men and women)
Calculators (regular and scientific)
Duo-tang folders with prongs and pockets
Alarm clocks (electric), laundry detergent
Backpacks (any grade level)
Composition books (wide and college ruled)
Pencil boxes (small and large), zippered pencil pouches
Crayons (24 packs), flash drives
New clothing items (socks, underwear, etc.)

Drop-off locations:
Administration and commission Office, 601 SE 25th Ave, Ocala
Animal Services, 5701 SE 66th St., Ocala
Building Safety, 2710 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala
Community Services, 2710 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala
Extension Service, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala
Human Resources, 521 SE 26th Court, Ocala
Office of the County Engineer, 412 SE 25th Ave., Ocala
Parks & Recreation, 111 SE 25th Ave., Ocala
Utilities, 11800 SE U.S. Highway 441, Belleview
Veterans Services, 2730 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Unit 100, Ocala
All Marion County Fire Stations

Thomas Butler, Homeless Liaison for MCPS, emphasized the real impact of the effort: “On behalf of MCPS and our Families in Transition program, we thank the community for supporting the hundreds of homeless and economically challenged students we serve. Giving them a new backpack and school essentials is about more than just supplies — it’s about restoring dignity and giving hope. With every donation, we’re not only changing a child’s life — we’re helping shape the future of Marion County.”

Help make a lasting impact this summer by donating to help local students start strong. Learn more and view updates at: MarionFL.org/BusBrigade

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