On Wednesday, the North Tech Green walkway hosted the Red Bus Project, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about orphans’ needs around the world.
“We’re just a student initiatives program of our parent organization Show Hope, and what Show Hope does is they give grants to families who want to adopt but can’t afford to,” said Jami Black, an intern for the Red Bus Project. “If [students] are aware, we believe we can make a difference.”
The Red Bus is a fully drivable double-decker bus which functions practically as a thrift store. The stated purpose is to raise awareness of the needs of orphans on various colleges and universities. Students can donate their unused clothing or buy clothing from the bus, and the proceeds are utilized for advocacy efforts.
“The idea behind everything we do is that there are over 140 million orphans in the world, and we’re not really ok with that number,” said Brooke Lyle, the Student Initiatives Program Coordinator for Show Hope. “This [issue] is right here in Atlanta, it’s also overseas in China, overseas in Africa. That’s why we’re here speaking up for all of them.”
Show Hope works to give grants to families who choose to adopt orphans. According to Lyle, grants average 5,000 dollars, but they may choose to allocate a larger sum depending on the circumstances.
“Show Hope believes that we are the next generation of orphan care leaders,” Lyle said, explaining why it is so important for the Red Bus Project to inform college students specifically.
One of the most heavily emphasized aspects of the organization’s work is that students are able to effectively spread information to their peers. According to Lyle, much of the dissemination of statistics is accomplished through student interactions with each other.
“We believe that, when college students are educated, they know about the problem and can make a difference,” Lyle said. “Awareness brings education, and education brings cause and change.”
Red Bus Project representatives and interns were present on Tech campus for the first time Wednesday. In addition to their trademark bus, the organization had also set up tents and tables in order to conduct clothing services. Students were welcome to buy or donate articles of clothing as well as receive information about adoption.