- November 23, 2024
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Ormond Beach Middle School sixth grader Karlee Eansemer shows off her backpack and school supplies at the first annual Carrying Hope Back 2 School event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Carrying Hope Back 2 School organizer Tina Carlyle announces the next speaker during the educational part of the event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Carrying Hope Back 2 School organizer Tina Carlyle stands with Gordon Food Service representative Brandi McLeod. Gordon provided free hamburgers and hot dogs for the event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Volunteers Belinda Davis (left) and Shelia Wiley (right) serve lunch to people attending the Carrying Hope Back 2 School event held at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center. Photo by Michele Meyers
Volunteer Sharon James (center) helps serve lunch to people attending the Carrying Hope Back 2 School event held at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center. Photo by Michele Meyers
Carrying Hope Back 2 School attendees lineup for lunch at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center. Photo by Michele Meyers
Ormond Beach Elementary teacher Robbin Hammonds-Durden talks to parents and kids about the East Volusia informational booklet at the Carrying Hope Back 2 School event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Ormond Beach police officers (left to right) Capt. D.W. Smith, Capt. Chris Roos and Officer Allie Anderegg organize backpacks at the Carrying Hope Back 2 School event held at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center. Photo by Michele Meyers
Ormond Beach police officer Allie Anderegg and Capt. D.W. Smith volunteer at the Carrying Hope Back 2 School event held at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center. Photo by Michele Meyers
Ormond Beach police officers Capt. Chris Roos, Officer Allie Anderegg and Capt. D.W. Smith volunteer at the Carrying Hope Back 2 School event held at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center. Photo by Michele Meyers
Organizer Tina Carlyle (fifth from left) poses with Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey (center) and other volunteers from the community at the first annual Carrying Hope Back 2 School event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Carrying Hope Back 2 School event volunteers Sharon James, Shelia Wiley, Belinda Davis, Helen Azma, Randy Carlyle, organizer Tina Carlyle and Donna Edwards take a moment for a photo op in the kitchen at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center. Photo by Michele Meyers
Carrying Hope Back 2 School event volunteers Shelia Wiley (left) and Belinda Davis (right) serve lunch at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center. Photo by Michele Meyers
Randolph Carlyle (left), grillmaster Jeff Layne and Gordon Food Service representative Brandi McLeod volunteer at the first annual Carrying Hope Back 2 School event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jeff Layne volunteers to grill the hamburgers and hot dogs at the Carrying Hope Back 2 School event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jeff Layne laughs as he grills the hamburgers and hot dogs at the Carrying Hope Back 2 School event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center. Photo by Michele Meyers
Stacey Reynolds (left), Copper Reynolds (front), Kable Reynolds (center) and Chancey Reynolds (right) stop by the Carrying Hope Back 2 School event to grab a bite to eat and some backpacks. Photo by Michele Meyers
Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey and his wife Janice take part in the first annual Carrying Hope Back 2 School event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center. Photo by Michele Meyers
Parents and children listen to nurse Mary Davis Johnson's talk about hygiene at the first annual Carrying Hope Back 2 School event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Florida Health educator Carrie Johnson distributes information about establishing healthy habits at the first annual the Carrying Hope Back 2 School event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Kale Cafe owner Camille Holder-Brown (right) and two of her children Zion Brown (left) and Judah Brown (center) pose with their goodies at the first annual Carrying Hope Back 2 School event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Tina Carlyle was told she would never get 400 backpacks to give away to the community.
At the first Carrying Hope Back 2 School event held on Saturday, Aug. 3, she proved the naysayers wrong by reaching her goal — 400 backpacks, which included a donation from the Zone 2 City Commissioner Travis Sargent. Carlyle said the event was a big success.
“We’ve got to bring the Ormond community together — bigger and better,” she said. “I see Daytona Beach do so much and we’re not there. I’m going to make us get there by the help of God. I’ve got to have the support of the community. I’ve go to have support from our government and city officials. Without their support, it’s not going to happen.”
Carlyle’s consulting business, Access Senior Resources & Consulting, LLC, hosted the event at the city-owned South Ormond Neighborhood Center. The city did not charge for use of the facility.
Carlyle is an advanced practice clinician with a master’s degree in nursing, so for her, education is key. She said the goal for the event was to educate and enlighten the public before they sat down for a meal, got a backpack or won prizes.
“For me, it’s very important and vital that anything I touch or do always has an educational component,” she said. “It was very important for me to be able to share with the kids how to keep safe from an infection or just how to wash their hands or cover their mouths properly. I wanted them to know how to keep safe from bullying. It was so important that we kicked it off that way.”
This is not your standard backpack giveaway — this is an educational piece created by Miss Tina. This is probably one of the best backpack giveaways I’ve ever seen in the 35 years I’ve been doing this." — JESSE GODFREY, Ormond Beach Police chief
Parents, guardians and their children gathered in a classroom when they arrived, where nurse Mary Davis Johnson talked to them about hygiene, Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey emphasized specific safety tips and Ormond Beach Elementary teacher Robinn Hammonds-Durden went over resources that are available to families in Volusia County.
“Let’s talk about social media — if you don’t have it, I’m sure one day you will,” Godfrey said. “Once you post something on the internet, it’s there forever. Don’t ever give out personal information on social media. Don’t ever meet anyone from online. Stranger danger, right? Same thing on the internet. That’s the one takeaway you have here today — be super safe when you’re walking, on your bikes and on social media” Godfrey said.
He said it is important for kids to know who their school resource officer is and to report incidences of bullying or questionable issues to them. They are there to keep them safe.
“This is not your standard backpack giveaway—this is an educational piece created by Miss Tina,” he said. “This is probably one of the best backpack giveaways I’ve ever seen in the 35 years I’ve been doing this.”
Ormond Beach Police Capt. Christopher Roos, Capt. D.W. Smith and Officer Allie Anderegg volunteered with Godfrey at the event. They spent their time filling backpacks with supplies and handing them out to the kids.
Kale Cafe owner Camille Holder-Brown and her sons Judah and Zion Brown attended the event. She said they had been to backpack giveaways in the past, but the educational component differentiated the event from others.
“I wish all of the giveaways had that part,” Holder-Brown said. “Even if you homeschool like we do or your children go to school, it’s really valid information that everyone needs to hear. I applaud them.”
Roos emphasized the significance of attentive driving when in a school zone.
“This is a great, great event for the kids in our community,” Roos said. “We also want to remind parents that next week when school starts, make sure you’re attentive when you’re driving. Put your phones down — pay attention to the road. ... We don’t need you distracted. We want to make sure we make it a safe year for everybody.”
Carlyle said, first and foremost, the backpacks should go to kids who need them. But in the future, she said, she would like to give backpacks to kids who don’t need them too.
They can pay it forward and give them to kids in need themselves.
“The other thing we have to teach our kids is how to be loving, how to be giving and how to be grateful for their fortunes because not everybody is fortunate,” she said.
