The United Way of southeastern Pennsylvania has launched a program to collect school supplies for homeless children in the region.

The Stuff the Bus program collects thousands of school supplies for homeless kids in Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties, so that each child has a book bag to start school with in September. Joe DiVincenzo is vice president of marketing and communications with the United Way:

“The smiles on their faces, the excitement. It’s one less thing that they have to worry about when the school year starts. These kids have a tremendous handicap. When the day is over, they’re either going back out on the street or to a shelter.”

Two-thousand book bags is the goal. You can drop them off at the United Way headquarters at 17th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia.

Go to liveunitedphilly.org to make a donation, or drop the supplies at a number of participating coffee shops in the region, which are also listed on the website.