Torrance Transit - Stuff A Bus Campaign

Target Audience: In the spirit of the Holidays and a desire to help those less fortunate, the Torrance Transit System launched our 2017 "Stuff A Bus" drive on December 21, 2017 in partnership with the Del Amo Fashion Center. Other City Departments such as Torrance Police and Fire, the Torrance Womans Club, the Red Cross also partnered up with Transit to stage this event. This toy and gift drive was designed to help low-income families in the South Bay as well as to assist the Hurricane Relief efforts that were ongoing in Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico.

Strategy Objective:Along with helping those less fortunate and in need, the campaign was designed to raise community awareness and strengthen interagency partnerships. Torrance Transit pledged to donate all gifts and proceeds to the Department of Children and Family Services, the Family Crisis Center and the American Red Cross.

Situation Challenge: While situated in a relatively affluent community, Torrance Transit also provides service outside of the City to low-income areas. Approximately 60% of our fixed route service provides much needed public transportation to low-income areas. In a desire to help those in need and victims of the recent natural disasters, Torrance Transit embarked upon the Stuff A Bus campaign with only eight weeks of lead time for planning and execution.

Results Impact: The Stuff A Bus Campaign was a tremendous success! Executed on December 21, 2017, Transit staff staged two collection points at the Del Amo Fashion Center. Volunteers from the Police and Fire Department, and the Torrance Womans Club assisted Transit to collect items from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. that day. Staff had hoped to fill one 40 foot bus with toys and gifts. Instead three buses were packed completely full of toys and gifts. In all, over 2,200 toys and gifts were collected and over $1,400 in monetary donations was received.

Why Submit: The Stuff A Bus Campaign allowed Torrance Transit to provide over 2,200 donated toys and gifts to the Department of Children and Family Services, and the Family Crisis Center, and provide over $1,400 in monetary assistance to the American Red Cross to help families in Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico. Conducted with only approximately eight weeks of preparation time, the campaign exceeded all Transit (and community) expectations. Because preparation and staffing of the event was done on a voluntary basis, actual project cost were significantly minimal (estimated to be $1,000). Based upon the outcome of this event 2017, the community is requesting Torrance Transit to conduct another Stuff A Bus Campaign on December 1, 2018.