30th Annual Stuff-A-Bus Food Drive

Target Audience: Passengers and residents of the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District (GPMTD/CityLink) service area.

Strategy Objective:Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Stuff-A-Bus was a special milestone and those closely involved with the food drive wanted to make it the best campaign to date. The goal was to collect 10 tons of food, and to feature 30 families/individuals who were using or have used the services provided by the Peoria Friendship House. New stories were posted on the Stuff-A-Bus Facebook page (www.facebook.com/stuffabuspeoria) throughout the duration of the food drive.

Situation Challenge: CityLink has hosted the Stuff-A-Bus food drive to help eliminate hunger in Peoria since 1987. With a long partnership with Kroger, Cumulus Radio, WYZZ Fox 43, WMBD CBS 31, CIPROUD.com, and the Amalgamated Transit Union #416 to collect enough food to stuff a classic CityLink bus, the donations collected during the annual food drive benefit the food pantry at the Peoria Friendship House of Christian Service. What started out as a small door-to-door campaign by CityLink employees and members of ATU #416 with the intent to stuff a CityLink bus with donations has grown over the years to become a staple food drive in the Peoria area each year. The classic 1975 CityLink bus is clearly recognizable and hard to miss when it drives through the streets of Peoria during the food drive.

Results Impact: The 30th Anniversary Celebration of the Stuff-A-Bus food drive ran from October 27 through November 28. It concluded with a press conference at the Peoria Friendship House of Christian Service to announce the total weight of the bus filled with the food collected during the campaign. The total weight of the food collected on the bus during the campaign was 20,096 pounds or 10.048 tons. Throughout the duration of the campaign, CityLink provided opportunities for its passengers and members of the public to participate with various activities and events (See submitted press releases for further details). This long-standing food drive not only provides a local food pantry with much needed donations, but it also exposes public transportation in the Peoria area to a broader audience.

Why Submit: The 30th Anniversary Celebration of the Stuff-A-Bus food drive was filled with hard work, dedication, and determination. Stuff-A-Bus provides an opportunity for GPMTD/CityLink management and labor to come together and provide food to local families who may very well use our service. We not only met, but exceeded our 10 ton goal, and we are pleased to share that the donations collected during the 2017 campaign lasted Peoria Friendship House most of this year (2018). Our entry was submitted and should win because this event is something that far outreaches the transportation service we provide. Stuff-A-Bus is a true collaboration that benefits the local community in which we serve.