LOCKHART, Texas — For the sixth year, Connie S. Amaya, a grandmother from Lockhart, has been using her own retirement money to buy backpacks for those in the community who need them.
Every year, Amaya fills her entire house up with boxes of backpacks and school supplies to pass out during her free drive before the each new school year starts.
“Backpacks [are] kind of like the more expensive item tool that a student would need,” Amaya said. “I've seen some that would carry just their paper and their pencils and pens around.”
Amaya previously worked as a secretary registrar for the school district, so she saw the needs of many students. That prompted her and her grandson, John Mathew “JMAT” Bernal, to start the backpack drive in her front yard six years ago.
“It's also really cool to see because we started out in front of her house with two tables and, as you can see, we probably have like, 30 tables here, so this has grown so much,” Bernal said.
Fast-forward six years, and now they are handing out their 4,000th backpack to the community in Lockhart.
“It just makes me feel happy because I see them happy,” Amaya said.
It helps Lockhart residents like Desarie Stoudmire, who came to the drive. She is the sole provider for her five children, who range from 11 months to 10 years old.
“You know, someone like me, with so many of them – last year, it was just him, so this year, all of them are going to school. So it was very helpful for me,” Stoudmire said. “They helped me a lot, so I appreciate that.”
A large reason Amaya is able to do what she does is her family. The volunteers helping with the drive include her brothers, sisters, brothers in law, sisters in law and others.
“We all support each other in everything that we do,” Amaya said. “Family is really important to us.”
Amaya's free backpack drive has become a tradition that not only her family, but everyone in the community looks forward to. She plans to keep the tradition going as long as possible and pass it down to the future generations.
Because of all the support received from the community this year, Amaya’s backpack drive has now been turned into a nonprofit. If you are interested in helping make the drive even bigger next year, you can donate through the nonprofit's website.
"I think that's what makes this also really special, because the amount of support that's coming towards us," Bernal said.