OMS' Superior Class Volunteers for Lovepacks

Kristen Busby’s Superiors loading food for Lovepacks.

Oxford Middle Schools’ special needs class, known as the Superiors, has become an important role in the LovePacks organization.

“Kristen Busby’s class, they’re called the Superiors, and they actually pack all of our packs each week,” said Camilla Bianco, board member of Lovepacks.
Lovepacks is a non-profit organization that strives to provide non-perishable food to students in need. It first began when a teacher noticed a student’s backpack was leaking. Inside the backpack was gather milk cartons from the cafeteria. The student told the teacher he was collecting leftover milk because he could not get it at home.
The Superior class divides the food into separate wagons and load them into vehicles, which is then dispersed among the schools and to each school’s representative that divides them secretly among students in need, weekly.
“We found that there are kids that come to school and they get breakfast and lunch and on the weekends they are struggling to find food,” said Mary Leary, board member of Lovepacks.
Lovepacks collects food that is non-perishable, easy to open food that students can take home on the weekends, Leary said.
“Not thinking that Oxford with all the pretty people, money and cars would need a program like this,” Leary said.
The program first started at Bramlett, Della Davidson and Oxford Elementary. The following year the program grew to add the rest of the Oxford School District, and eventually, the program grew to add the Lafayette School District a few years afterward.
“We have about 160 kids that we provide food for,” Leary said.
As of now, Lovepacks only operates during the school year due to it not having access to the students that receive it during the school breaks.
The program eventually moved to Oxford Middle School where Busby’s students became involved.
“Kristen said ‘that it would be a benefit for my kids because they can learn life skills, and they can have a job that I can recommend when they graduate,’” Leary said.
Leary said that each Superior student is assigned a specific job such as having a designated wagon. Another bonus of the Superiors’ volunteer work is being the bosses of the pantry when other volunteers, such as cheerleaders and honor students, lend a hand.
“We have these good relationships forming between all types of students,” Leary said. “That is just a side benefit.”
For more information on how to donate or be involved with Lovepacks, email lovepacks@gmail.com. To sign-up for the Lovepack’s newsletter, visit www.oxfordlovepacks.com.

By Talbert Toole, associate editor of HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at talbert.toole@hottytoddy.com.