EMMIE BOESE
Hutch Post
NICKERSON, Kan. — There's a magic bus in Reno County but it's not called the Magic School Bus with a red haired Ms. Frizzle behind the wheel. This bus is called the Magic Clothes Bus. Melissa Kuhns, a bus driver for Nickerson USD 309, started the nonprofit with her family in 2020. The bus travels to numerous public events and helps those in need.
"It's like at each of these events, there's always a story that pops out in my head that really just makes me want to continue to help," Kuhns said.
More specifically, the Magic Clothes Bus is a retired school bus that is filled with gently used clothing items. The items are prioritized for children and teens but clothes can be provided for adults. Clothing sizes range from 2T to adult 3XL. The bus also contains travel size toiletries and limited space for gently used kids sports attire. All items are free.
Kuhns idea for the bus started with a simple question she asked a middle school boy on her morning bus route. How was your Christmas break? He responded with I liked the clothes I got because I don't have anything that fits.
"Coming from a middle schooler that really... it hit my momma heart," Kuhns said.
Later that day, she went to one of the elementary schools in Nickerson and learned of another child in need of clothes. He ended up being the brother of the same kid Kuhns interacted with on the bus that morning. Kuhns said she took over some of her son's clothes that night.
"That really sparked the gears to,okay, what can I do as a bus driver," Kuhns said. "I see different things. You know I see kids who have too small of clothes. Too big of clothes. They just grow super fast. You know, how can I help?"
Kuhns said she thought about hosting a yard sale to take in donations but those that responded to her idea said that it would feel more like a handout. She said a trailer wouldn't work because she can't back it up well, so then the idea for the Magic Clothes Bus clicked.
Kuhns and her husband bought a bus in 2020 but their plans for the magic clothes bus were at a stand still when the COVID-19 pandemic hit two weeks later. Kuhns, her husband and father in-law used down time during the pandemic to renovate the bus. Seats were ripped out, peel and stick tiles were added and hangers were fabricated.
Then the donations started to come. Kuhns said she received so many donations for the bus that it started to take over her family's home.
"I was buying tubs like crazy," Kuhns said. "I was washing clothes like crazy. It was insane."
Kuhns said after the pandemic she and her family could start to take the bus out to public events. Kuhns said after the launch of the Magic Clothes Bus, she had some Nickerson High School students on her activity bus talk about how expensive formal wear is for prom.
I was like, hold on," Kuhns said. "Hold on. I've got a lot of dresses in my closet that I don't wear anymore so let's do something with that."
Kuhns now hosts a prom and formal wear edition of the Magic Clothes Bus each year. She said her favorite story about the prom edition was the first year it was held. A woman stepped into the bus to look for a dress because she was getting ready to receive her GED and wanted to attend an adult prom.
"Thirty minutes before she had came in, I had a lady bring a mother of the bride dress and it fit her perfect," Kuhns said. "It was like it was made for her. Her face lit up and she just paraded around everywhere and was just like look at my dress. It was so exciting. It was great to see."
The Magic Clothes Bus will be at United Way of Reno County's UNITED.READ.CONNECT event at Gowan's Stadium on Sunday, May 19.
Anyone who would like to donate, is in need of clothing or would like the Magic Clothes Bus to attend their event can call (620) 664-4375 or email through the website's contact page.
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