NATCHEZ — Sometimes it’s easy to take a pencil or a piece of paper for granted, not realizing that some have to go without.

The Junior Auxiliary, however, understands that at the cusp of the school year, that looming list of school supplies requires substantial dollars.

That’s why for the past few years, they bring out the bus and pack it.

Pack the Bus is a fundraising event that looks for donations of school supplies and is accepting of monetary donations, as well, Pack the Bus Chairman Joanna Brumfield said.

“We’ve even had enough donations to buy backpacks for the kids,” Brumfield said.

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, the Junior Auxiliary will be in front of Kmart by their bus, collecting pencils, paper and crayons for Natchez-Adams County elementary schools — McLaurin, Morgantown, Frazier and West.

“We find that most of the people we get are the people out shopping,” she said.

After all the supplies have been collected, the auxiliary will sort them and deliver them to school.

Brumfield said buying school supplies, especially for a house that has multiple children, can be a hardship for some.

“We found that school supplies can be a real financial burden,” she said. “This kind of takes the burden off the parents a little bit.”

Brumfield encouraged the public to hop on the bus.

“Anything is appreciated, any little thing people can do to help these kids to get the little things, paper and crayons, really helps them out and the school appreciates everything we’re able to provide for them,” Brumfield said.