Inside the Monroe Elementary gym on 27th Avenue SE, volunteers from McLain Insurance were unpacking pallets of school supplies on Monday, July 21.

They're the advance team for Stuff the Bus, the Everett Public Schools Foundation's annual drive that has grown from 1,000 backpacks in its first year to more than 3,600 this summer.

"Seven years ago, we did 1,000 backpacks," EPSF executive director Kay Fantin told the Everett Post. "This year, we'll do over 3,600 backpacks. So, the need has grown."

The foundation needs more than 250 volunteers to pull it off. Here's how the week breaks down:

Collection weekend, Friday, August 14 through Sunday, August 16: Volunteers work two-hour shifts at Mill Creek Fred Meyer and QFC on Evergreen Way (Highway 99), collecting supplies and donations from shoppers.

Unloading night, Sunday, August 16: Football players from Jackson, Cascade, and Everett high schools arrive in uniform with their coaches to unload the buses. Fantin said the rival teams describe the evening as a moment when they "come together for our community and for fellow students."

Stuffing and delivery, Monday, August 17 through Tuesday, August 18: Roughly 100 volunteers pack the backpacks at Monroe Elementary. Durham Bus Services and Amazon then deliver them to every school in the district before the school year starts.

The backpacks go to students already identified by the district through Title I eligibility.

Families registered in Everett Public Schools simply pick up a filled backpack at their child's school. No separate application is required.

Fred Meyer and other vendors give EPSF discounted pricing on supplies, stretching each donated dollar further than retail, Fantin said.

Meghan Pembroke, co-owner of McLain Insurance and a former EPSF board member, said her agency has supported the foundation for decades.

After she posted about volunteering on social media last year, friends and clients asked to join. That morning, two children and a family friend were in the gym sorting supplies alongside McLain staff.

The foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating since 1985, has contributed more than $8.4 million to Everett schools. It also awarded $213,000 in 120 scholarships to the class of 2026.

Residents who want to volunteer or learn more can email Angie Sievers at [email protected]. Employers with corporate matching programs can double or triple the dollar amount through their company's match, according to the EPSF website.