Trojans raise hundreds of school supplies

Troy students helped raise school supplies for children of incarcerated mothers thanks to a month-long supply drive at the end of the summer.

The College of Education and Behavioral Sciences held the Pack the Bus Initiative this July, in collaboration with the anthropology club and in support of Aid to Inmate Moms (AIM).

“I have school-aged children, and I know how important back-to-school time is for them,” said Professor of Anthropology Dr. Stephen Carmody. “It is an exciting time of year when children can shape their identity for the year with material items their parents can afford, like school supplies and clothes.”

Not all parents can afford those items for their children, and AIM focuses on supporting mothers that struggle to provide for their children as a result of being sent to prison.

“Those kids get left behind both academically and socially,” Carmody said. “I thought it was a way for those of us who have so much to give to those who have so little and especially being involved in education; it hits home a little harder.”

For Dr. Amanda Heitkamp, a professor of sociology, having educators contribute and play host in the supply drive builds a connection with the community in addition to physical and financial support they are providing.

“It means a tremendous amount to be able to help in any small way,” Heitkamp said. “As a professor of sociology, I believe it is of utmost importance for scholars to move beyond the ivory tower of academia to connect with actual people and enact actual social change within our communities.

“Seeing students so enthusiastic to help others makes me proud to be a professor. I'm looking forward to more projects to come.”

Students in the anthropology club helped to construct and decorate the boxes in the shape of buses that were filled across the length of the supply drive.

“The amount of supplies raised was overwhelming,” said Marlee Brand, a junior anthropology major from Blakely, Georgia. “Walking in to see the bus packed full was such a gratifying experience.

“The idea that my club members and I were able to make a real impact on these children’s lives has been extremely rewarding.”

Over the month of July, the students and faculty raised: 66 3-ring binders, 62 folders, 160 pencils, 200 pens, 320 markers, 340 colored pencils, 39 packs of crayons, 61 notebooks, 29 pencil pouches, 38 packs of paper, six highlighters, 64 composition notebooks, 31 glue sticks, 29 scissors, 50 erasers, 25 pencil sharpeners, four boxes of tissues and a pack of colored construction paper.

“I cannot imagine what it must feel like to know that school is approaching and, as a child, you have nothing you need to be successful; it is heartbreaking to me,” Carmody said. “We know that if and when kids fall behind in the basics, they are less likely to graduate from high school, and we also know what that means for these children.

“Maybe, just by giving these kids the basics that they need to be successful, we can change a life or two.”

Carmody built a relationship with AIM in his time running the garden program at Tutwiler Prison. Since then, he has helped out in the past during the holiday season with a toy drive, inspiring the idea for the Pack the Bus Initiative.

There are plans to make the supply drive an annual event, and they hope to start it again next spring to allow all students the opportunity to give, not just those on campus over the summer.