San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) will hold its 18th Annual Stuff the Bus food and coat drive Friday, November 18, through Sunday, November 20. RTD will once again lead a countywide effort, joined by the Greater Yosemite Council Boy Scouts and transit agencies in Lodi, Manteca, and Escalon to collect food for the following nonprofit agencies in their respective communities: the Stockton-San Joaquin Emergency Food Bank, Salvation Army, Second Harvest Food Bank, and Escalon CARE. The food collected will feed thousands of San Joaquin County residents this holiday season.
RTD began Stuff the Bus in 1999 as a food drive campaign that encourages area residents to “stuff” an RTD bus with food donations to benefit local nonprofit agencies. Agencies will also accept turkey and meat donations for families to use for holiday dinners. Over the past 18 years, RTD and its campaign partners have collected over 287,000 pounds of food to help those in need during the holiday season.
For the third year in a row, the Boy Scouts – Greater Yosemite Council will participate in Stuff the Bus through the Scouting for Food Program. On November 14, the Scouts will begin placing door hangers requesting nonperishable food items. The Scouts will return to collect the food on November 19 and drop the donations off at Stuff the Bus locations. Last year, the Scouts collected 16,240 pounds of food for Stuff the Bus.
Stuff the Bus will be held at four locations this year: Food 4 Less stores on Hammer Lane in Stockton, in Lodi, and in Manteca; and Big Boy Market in Escalon. Participants can register to win raffle prizes at Food 4 Less locations in Stockton and Lodi. Event participants at the Escalon location will receive 10% off any food purchased at Big Boy Market.
The Stockton Food 4 Less on Hammer Lane will accept donations Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. The Lodi and Manteca Food 4 Less and Big Boy Market in Escalon will accept donations Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.