Butler's first Stuff A Bus is under way on North Washington Street between the YMCA and Emily Brittain Elementary School.

For the past several years, the Butler School District's Kid's Weekend Backpack Program struggles to collect enough food during the first few months of the school year. The program sends kids home with most of its reserves at the end of school year, and donations take a while to pick back up in August.

Kim Thomas, the backpack program's founder, said the program spent about $20,000 from the Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation budget on food in the first four months of last year's school year. The money comes from various sources such as grants and donations.

So this year, the program's supporters are filling a school bus or two full of food to kick-start the school year's backpack program.

Meghan Lucas, a 4th grade teacher at Emily Brittain, came up with the concept for Stuff A Bus.

“We went for a little school bus this year, but next year I think we're going to have to make it the big bus,” Lucas said.

One hour into the donation drive, organizers had already called to bring in a second bus.

Cash and food donations are both being accepted. They need simple food products that only require basic preparation, such as cups of noodles or boxed macaroni.

Every Friday during the school year, teachers discretely place bags of the food in about 380 to 400 students' backpacks. Any family that says they have a need is put on the list for the program.

Stuff A Bus is from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. Tuesday on the 300 block of North Washington Street.