United Way’s Stuff the Bus Campaign Collects Over 27,000 Children’s Books

Des Moines, Iowa — The United Way of Central Iowa has collected more than 27,000 children’s books through its annual Stuff the Bus campaign, marking the largest book distribution effort in the organization’s history. The initiative, now in its fifth year, aims to ensure low-income children across the state have access to reading materials outside of school, addressing a critical educational gap for families facing financial barriers.

The books will be distributed free of charge to over 100 child care centers, in-home providers, and youth programs across Central Iowa beginning May 14. The event, held at United Way’s conference center in Des Moines, operates on a first-come, first-served basis, with doors open for five days to accommodate the high volume of requests. Joy Talmon, a program coordinator for United Way of Central Iowa, confirmed that the organization is unable to accommodate alternate pickup times due to the scale of the distribution.

Unlike traditional school supply drives that focus on notebooks, pencils, and backpacks, this year’s Stuff the Bus campaign prioritizes literacy by filling gaps in children’s home libraries. Research cited by United Way affiliates nationwide shows that children from low-income households are less likely to have age-appropriate books at home, a factor linked to lower reading proficiency and academic achievement. The initiative aligns with broader efforts by United Way chapters to mitigate educational inequities, including programs in Illinois and New Jersey that have distributed thousands of backpacks and teacher resources in recent years.

United Way of Central Iowa’s effort follows a model established by chapters in Illinois and New Jersey, where similar campaigns have exceeded supply goals by leveraging corporate partnerships and volunteer labor. In Illinois, for example, United Way of Lake County distributed over 3,000 backpacks and 300 teacher kits in 2025, while New Jersey’s Union County chapter surpassed its target of 500 backpacks with support from over 20 corporate sponsors. Central Iowa’s book drive, however, represents the first large-scale focus on literacy materials in the region, reflecting a shift toward addressing foundational reading challenges.

The distribution event runs from May 14 through May 19, with extended hours on select days to accommodate high demand. Organizations interested in participating must bring their own containers to fill with books, and no registration is required. For those unable to attend, United Way of Central Iowa maintains a mailing list for future distributions, though no alternate dates will be accommodated for this year’s event.

United Way of Central Iowa has not released specific sponsorship details for this year’s campaign, but past initiatives in the region have relied on local businesses, foundations, and individual donors. The organization’s decision to focus on books this year reflects broader trends in education advocacy, where access to reading materials is increasingly recognized as a key predictor of long-term academic success.

For organizations unable to attend the distribution, Joy Talmon can be contacted at joy.talmon@unitedwaydm.org for additional information.