Even though it still feels like summer, back-to-school time is right around the corner. To help students hit the books once again, DENSO has announced that its 8th annual “Stuff the Bus” program donated more than 4,000 items for school supplies to nearly 5,800 students in the Southfield, Michigan, school district. In eight years, DENSO employees have donated more than 40,000 items to Southfield schools, ranging from crayons to calculators.

“DENSO is a company that is truly committed to the communities where our employees work and live. Whether it’s donating school supplies, sponsoring free admission at museums or supporting adult education programs, we want to provide the tools and resources to positively influence our employees and community members in North America and beyond,” said Melissa Smith, community affairs lead at DENSO. 

On Thursday, Aug. 15, Southfield Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Green, along with other district representatives, was on-site at DENSO for an event designed to thank those who donated, as well as to collect the much-needed supplies, including pencils, markers, folders, rulers, notebooks, calculators, backpacks and more. 

During “recess” on Thursday, in addition to food and treats, DENSO hosted games and activities – parachute, cornhole, lawn Jenga and more – to celebrate the end of summer and inspire a back-to-school mindset. Employees were encouraged to submit the name of any deserving K-12 teacher to be entered in a random drawing for a $100 gift card, also donated by DENSO. 

“We thank DENSO for providing our students with the supplies they need to start the school year off right,” said Dr. Jennifer Green. “We look forward to continuing our partnership to help our students succeed both in school and beyond.”