Ejaye McFarland and her husband, Bart, are teachers for the Searcy School District. They have seen firsthand what students need for supplies.
“I’ve seen the backpacks dropped off at the counselor’s office by United Way, and I thought it was a great idea,” said Ejaye, who teaches fifth grade at Southwest Middle School. Bart McFarland teaches at Searcy High School.
For the second year in a row, the McFarlands’ son, Emery, has sacrificed receiving gifts from his friends on his birthday in an effort to help donate school supplies to the United Way of White County’s annual Stuff the Bus. Emery, 9, will be a third-grader this fall.
“A lot of kids don’t have enough money [for school supplies], so I wanted to help them,” Emery said. “My mom gave me the idea, and I don’t need any more gifts.”
Emery’s 11-year-old sister, Carmela, has also raised donations for her birthday, but she will give them to the local KLIFE program, a nondenominational youth group that meets once a week after school.
“We try to find something that applies to them and see how it helps, and this is what we find works best,” Ejaye McFarland said. “United Way’s Stuff the Bus falls right at the exact time as my son’s birthday.
“They both have friends and families that were willing to give, and at the same time, I’m not surprised because I know how good these people are to give.”
McFarland said that this year, they had Emery’s birthday party outside, and everyone who came to the party brought either supplies or cash. She said one family chose not to attend because of COVID-19, but they still made a donation to the United Way.
“It is not hard to give up gifts from my friends because I have enough fun stuff,” said Emery, who also enjoys soccer, golf and basketball. “I love school because I have great teachers, great friends, and it is fun.
“I can’t wait to go back to McRae.”
McFarland said she and her husband, as well as Emery’s grandparents, still purchase gifts for him.
“I’ve told them both before, ‘We don’t need all this other stuff on top of what they are already getting,’” she said. “I feel like they understand they don’t need more than all of that. It has not been a challenge.
“They seem to get onboard, no problem.”
McFarland was a member of the Junior Auxiliary for five years, and she and her husband volunteer with St. James Catholic Church in Searcy. She said she helps teach Sunday School and assists her church around Christmastime and during the year because they have “good programs for families that are in need.”
Two other students, brothers Alex Miller, 12, and Henry Cargile, 5, opened a lemonade stand on July 15 to raise money for the United Way’s Stuff the Bus campaign as well. They raised $84 at their stand, and half of it went to the United Way, and the other half was put into a savings account.
“I think they realized the charitable spirit that we have as a family,” said their mom, Candice Terry Cargile. “We talked through the different charities and which ones made the most sense to give to.
“They wanted to make their grandma proud and help other kids in the school district by purchasing school supplies. My mom works for the United Way, and they have heard her discuss what it does, and that’s why they chose it.”
Candice’s mom, Margaret Terry, has worked for two years at the United Way as an administrative assistant.
“I was surprised by how much money they raised,” Cargile said. “I owe it to their baby sitter, Mary Frances Oxner. It was her idea to have the stand, and she is also in charge of the junior-class T-shirt sales at the high school.
“So she had students or parents drop off the money at the stand, then encouraged them to use the change to buy a cookie or a glass of lemonade.”
Cargile said her son Alex Miller is entering the seventh grade and has seen firsthand kids struggling with not having enough school supplies. She said she constantly talks to her children about how fortunate they are that they have parents who can afford school supplies. She said they will definitely do the stand again next year.
Nan Tucker, executive director for the United Way of White County, said she is very encouraged by Emery’s, Henry’s and Alex’s thoughtfulness and generosity toward Stuff the Bus.
“To choose to not receive birthday gifts or not spend their earned money shows that these boys and their families understand there is something greater than themselves,” Tucker said. “These young men recognize that they, too, can impact the lives of those who live in their community and, more specifically, the lives of children.
“United Way of White County is an organization whose mission is to increase the organized capacity of people in White County to care for one another, and our Stuff the Bus initiative allows for amazing individuals, such as Emery, Henry and Alex, to care for the children of White County.”
Tucker said the United Way of White County is built upon wonderful volunteers who give of their resources, their time and their voices in order to fight for education, financial stability and health for all individuals of White County.
“We could not do this important and vital work in our community without those who want to make an impact in the lives of others,” Tucker said. “Emery, Henry and Alex have done just that, and we couldn’t be more proud or thankful for how they choose to Live United.”
Staff writer Sam Pierce can be reached at (501) 244-4314 or spierce@arkansasonline.com.