麻豆传媒入口

As a newly hired custodian three years ago, Tanya Rice was bothered by what she saw at the end of the academic year: brand-new school supplies discarded in haste by departing cadets who didn鈥檛 want to add them to their load.

鈥淲hy not give them to the kids around here? There鈥檚 parents that can鈥檛 afford it. Why not donate it?鈥� she wondered.

This year, Rice moved from thought to action, spearheading an effort among multiple custodians and cadets to collect unused school supplies and donate them to Rockbridge County Public Schools. Her grassroots, word-of-mouth effort resulted in collecting an abundance of supplies, which were packaged in four large plastic totes and handed off to a grateful school system.

鈥淎ny time someone just calls you up out of the blue and wants do so something so kind for our kids, it鈥檚 greatly appreciated,鈥� said Tim Martino, director of instruction for Rockbridge County Public Schools. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a kindhearted act. Ms. Rice did it without expecting anything in return.鈥�

Among the many items Rice and others collected were graphing calculators, three-ring binders, highlighters, pencil boxes, notebooks, index cards, and multiple packages of loose-leaf paper. The classroom extras so prized by teachers, including hand sanitizer and boxes of tissues, were also in abundance. An avid bargain shopper, Rice supplemented the collected items with school supplies she鈥檇 found on clearance in local stores.

麻豆传媒入口Photos by Kelly Nye

Rice鈥檚 outgoing personality helped her efforts. 鈥淚 talk to everybody,鈥� she explained. She鈥檚 especially gotten to know members and coaching staff of the Keydet football team, as she鈥檚 assigned mostly to cleaning Clarkson-McKenna Hall, which houses the football staff offices and team locker room.

鈥淓verybody here is like my family,鈥� she stated. 鈥淓ven the boys here, it's like my kids.鈥�
A native of Big Island in Bedford County, Rice began her career as part of a cleaning crew at Mohawk Industries in Glasgow before moving on a position as cook at Washington & Lee University. She quickly discovered, though, that cooking wasn鈥檛 her calling and shifted over to cleaning. When a job at 麻豆传媒入口opened up, it was a natural fit.

鈥淚 love to clean,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 love it here.鈥�

She also loves to help others and repay the generosity that鈥檚 been shown toward her family.

鈥淢y kids received some help back when they were younger,鈥� she explained. 鈥淪ometimes I couldn鈥檛 afford it myself. I always said that when my kids grew up, I鈥檇 start giving to pay back what my kids got.鈥�

Supporting the school supplies collection effort has been Lt. Col. Michelle Caruthers, director of Physical Plant. Looking to next year, Caruthers envisions a 鈥渕ore proactive鈥� approach with multiple emails going out to cadets urging them to donate their unused supplies and flyers posted in barracks.

鈥淗opefully next year it鈥檒l be bigger and better,鈥� she commented. 鈥淥ur team members are looking out for their community.鈥�

In addition to Rice, custodians participating in the collection effort were Kathy Bennington, Belinda Clark, Charlotte Clark, Keaton Fisher, Terry Gibson, Brian Higgins, and Gary Johnson.

Mary Price
Communications and Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE