OCC Trash Bag Walk to raise funds for teenagers in crisis
Ouachita Children’s Center will host its first Trash Bag Walk next month to raise funds for teens in crisis, allowing participants to literally walk a mile in their shoes holding trash bags representing their sole possessions.
The concept was born from the reality of teens in crisis and foster care who are quickly relocated and often have their belongings hastily thrown in a garbage bag due to their unstable life circumstances, Sallie Culbreth, OCC’s director of community relations, said Thursday.
The mile-long walk will be held April 12 from 5:30-7 p.m. beginning at Transportation Depot and looping back from Grand Avenue. Participants can register for the walk at http://occnet.org, set their fundraising goal, and accept online sponsorships for their participation in the event.
“We’re asking people to do something easy for kids that have had it hard,” Culbreth said.
She said situations like this within the county and beyond are “all too common” for teens in the system.
Each walk participant will be given a suitcase, to be donated to CASA, placed in a trash bag to carry for the duration of the walk.
“To carry your few belongings in a trash bag … there’s no permanence, no dignity and it’s pretty jarring. On top of having things happen to you and for you that you have very little control over,” Culbreth said.
Culbreth said large banner photos will be displayed along the greenway, shot by Sidetown Studios, portraying teens modeling the reality of kids who turn to OCC for help.
She shared the story of a committee member who gasped while viewing the photos when she recalled experiencing a moment similar to the one depicted.
“As they walk they will be staring into the eyes of the reason behind this effort. It’s going to be quite experiential,” she said.
All funds from walk sponsorships will be donated to Ouachita Children’s Center, which has offices in Hot Springs and Arkadelphia
that provide emergency shelter and support services for youths in crisis.
“These funds will help us provide the resources for these kids to take the right step to a hopefully more positive future. I think this will be a life-changing experience,” Culbreth said.