That’s My Child

By Kalandra Haynes, That’s My Child Committee Chair

That’s My Child’s (TMC) mission is to mentor the youth through arts, education and work-force development ending hopelessness and generational poverty within our community. This summer, the Junior League’s scope of work with That’s My Child was to renovate an old school bus into a mobile art studio.

When my committee started this placement on June 4, 2022, we were told the ribbon cutting would be July 28, 2022. We had almost 8 weeks to get this project completed before it would be revealed to the community. We were up for the challenge. So, Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings spent at That’s My Child became our new norm.

Our first job was to gut the bus completely cleaned out, which included removing floors, metal bars, seating and other debris that was on the bus. This took some time, but once the bus was gutted, we were introduced to a couple by the name of Danny and Michelle to further assist our committee. Danny and Michelle were instrumental in helping us meet

our deadline. Danny primed the bus for painting, and this was when the fun started.

The committee spent hours researching designs, layouts and color schemes. That’s My Child Executive Director Charles Lee gave our committee free reigns to design. We spent several weeks bringing our design to life by painting colorful triangles, dots and handprints to provide a vibrant space to inspire creativity. Yes, that’s our hands on the ceiling – we wanted to leave our mark!

Although Amazon is our best friend, we had to get creative with our budget. We removed the tops from tv trays purchased from Target to make the collapsible desktops. With the help of Danny, steel heavy-duty folding shelf brackets were mounted to the wall to create fold-down desktops for when the bus is in motion. In the meantime, committee members researched art supplies and storage to be used on the bus.

As the ribbon ceremony approached, we started working every day to meet our deadline. Some of the committee members learned how to assist and install flooring with Danny. Others learned painting techniques from Michelle. On the days leading up to the ribbon cutting, several members showed up diligently to clean, assemble, arrange and place items on the bus, even taking their lunch break to finalize projects.

The bus is fully equipped with a tv, iPad, cabinets, a sink, two air conditioners, a generator and art supplies to fully accommodate 12 students at a time. After weeks of working, we realized the work that TMC does is more than a job, or even a passion; it is a lifestyle.

A big and special thank you to the staff at That’s My Child for opening your doors and your hearts and allowing the Junior League of Montgomery to help serve. Our committee has thoroughly enjoyed partnering with That’s My Child to make a difference in our community through art.

COMMUNITY Thank Yous