With the approach of Thanksgiving in the U.S. and the end-of-year holiday season, numerous public transportation agencies and businesses are collecting food and other items and conducting other efforts to support their communities. Here are a few examples.

The San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD), Stockton, CA, held its 15th Annual Stuff the Bus food drive Nov. 22-24, joined by public transit providers in Lodi and Escalon and other community partners. Since its first drive in 1999, RTD and its campaign partners have collected almost 180,000 pounds of food.

In Delaware, DART First State gathered 11.4 tons of food during its week-long Stuff the Bus event. The 16th annual event, held at several locations throughout the state, filled two 30-foot buses.

Employees of Clever Devices are concluding a year of charitable efforts by collecting almost 5,500 pounds of food. The company’s locations compete to see which can donate the largest amount.

During the year, Clever Devices employees raised $1,650, which the company then matched. Proceeds went to various locations around the nation, including an organization to prevent child abuse and neglect, food banks, and animal protection agencies. Company departments also host pot-luck lunches, which employees purchase. The company matches the proceeds and donates the funds to charity.

For the seventh year, SunLine Transit Agency, Thousand Palms, CA, collected food and nonperishable items for the homeless and others in need with a “Fill the Bus” Holiday Food Drive. SunLine parked two of its alternative-fueled buses at grocery store locations in the Coachella Valley to accept donations.

The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) in Albany, NY, joined several other organizations and businesses for its “Stuff Our Bus” drive. Two CDTA vehicles will remain at an area car dealership through Dec. 21 to accept donations of nonperishable food items and slightly used clothing..

Also, CDTA is partnering with a radio station to collect 2,400 pounds of non-perishable food item in 24 hours for a regional food bank.

Cincinnati Metro and the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) in Fort Wright competed Nov. 23 to collect the most nonperishable items for local nonprofits. Metro won the friendly rivalry by bringing in almost 1,800 pounds of food, while TANK reported 1,600 pounds of donations.

Representatives of the Riverside County (CA) Sheriff’s Department helped the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) and Operation SafeHouse fill two 40-foot buses with donated non-perishable food, linens, toiletries, and other items for the nonprofit group that helps at-risk and in-crisis youth. RTA and its partners held the fifth annual “Stuff the Bus” event Nov. 7 at locations throughout the county.	Engineers from CH2M HILL, HDR, Michael Baker Corporation/Wadsworth Construction, and Utah DOT collected 11,000 pounds of canned food for the Utah Food Bank. Each team also constructed a sculpture of cans of donated food as part of the “Canstruction” competition. The domed structure in the foreground is the beehive symbol that appears on Utah state road signs.