MBTA Celebrates 25th Annual Fill-A-Bus with Gifts Program

The MBTA and Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) celebrated the 25th Annual Fill-A-Bus with Gifts program. Employees from both state transportation agencies donated a total of 2,746 toys this year, which will be donated to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the Boys and Girls Club of Boston, and Heading Home.

"Fill-A-Bus is entirely employee-led and represents the spirit of what we stand for as public servants, making people's lives better," said Interim Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng. "I want to thank the MBTA employees who organized this program, which is in its 25th year, as well as my colleagues at the T and MassDOT who showed generosity by donating gifts that filled our bus. I'm also grateful to our partners at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the Boys and Girls Club of Boston, and Heading Home for distributing these gifts to families every year."

"The MBTA's Fill-A-Bus with Gifts event is a special chance for employees to give back to the communities we work with year-round. Each holiday season, the Fill-A-Bus visits MBTA garages, RMV locations, MassDOT offices, and other sites to engage as many people as possible," said MBTA Graphics Manager David Wood, who has organized the Fill-A-Bus with Gifts event for the past eight years. "Each year, I'm proud to see so many of my transportation colleagues get involved. The generosity shown by my peers brings a lot of joy to countless families during the holidays."

This year, MBTA and MassDOT employees donated a record-breaking 2,746 gifts (up from 2,651 in 2024) to their Fill-A-Bus partners at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC), the Boys and Girls Club of Boston, and Heading Home.

"Last year, MSPCC provided gifts to almost 1,000 children," said MSPCC Director of Development Melanie S. Lima. "The presents donated through the MBTA and MassDOT Fill-A-Bus program are far more than toys-they offer moments of joy, andhelp children feel valued and included. Because most MSPCC families live in poverty, parents often tell us they want to create a happy holiday for their children, but financial strain makes that difficult and stressful. The generosity of the Fill-A-Bus programs helps MSPCC ease some of that burden and ensure that hundreds of children experience a brighter, more joyful holiday season."

"The Yawkey Club of Roxbury is proud to partner with the MBTA once again for the Fill-A-Bus toy drive," said Corey Manning, Executive Director, Yawkey Boys & Girls Club of Roxbury. "As we celebrate our 115th anniversary, this effort reflects exactly who we are at our core, a community that shows up for young people and families. The MBTA's support helps us bring joy to hundreds of children, ages 6 to 12, during the holidays, and we are grateful to stand together in service of our neighborhoods as we continue saving the world one smile at a time."

"Partnering with the MBTA and MassDOT via the Fill-a-Bus initiative, has helped us bring a little joy, laughter, and fun to many of our families. What seems like a simple toy, means so much more to our families-it represents a moment of normalcy, happiness, and hope,"said Heading Home Chief Development Officer Karen Grant. "Nothing beats seeing the smiles on the faces of the kids, adults, and volunteers when the toys are dropped off at our shelters. Thank you to the MBTA and MassDOT and everyone who makes this possible."