By Ron Stafford

During this joyous time of the year, there are many children in our county who find themselves without a gift on Christmas morning. This year, the story will be different for many of them thanks to Kim Calvert and the children on her “Giving Bus.”

For the past 20 years, Kim has worked as a financial advisor, an independent broker and a mortgage loan officer. She moved to the Eastern Shore five years ago, and about two years ago took on additional work as a bus driver for Queen Anne’s County Public Schools. Her route consists of 85 children who attend Matapeake Elementary and Middle Schools. Enjoying the work so much, she decided to buy the bus and bec0me her own contractor. She currently is owner/operator for school bus 7898 for the county.

Kim recently had an opportunity to participate in a birthday party for a local 12-year-old foster child. She learned it was his first birthday party in his life, and it broke her hear. She then decided it was time to do more for the county’s 27 foster children.

After receiving approval from the Board of Education, she contacted Carol O’Donnell, Family Service Caseworker for the county. Carol told Kim that Family Services throws a Christmas party each year for the foster children. It is their goal that each child receives a present at the party and another for under the tree on Christmas morning. Kim knew there was more that she and the kids on her school bus could do. Kim says, “I asked Carol to give me the age and gender of each of the foster children who can range in age from infants to 20 years old.”

Driving her regular route, Kim gave each of the children a note for their parents describing her plans for the foster children’s Christmas. About half the families responded eagerly to buying presents for the foster children. Kim adds, “The parents were very generous. Some bought Kindles for the kids while others purchased $50 gift cards to Best Buy. The parents came through with style and class.” Not only were presents bought but individual stockings were stuffed for each of the kids. The riders on Kim’s route then came up with a name for this project. Modeled after Shel Silverstein’s popular book, “The Giving Tree,” the name “The Giving Bus” was proposed, and it stuck.

Once the gifts were bought, they needed to be wrapped, and Kim thought there was no better way to accomplish this than with a gift wrapping party. Excitement for the event built gradually through the fall, and the wrapping party was held on December 6 in the cafeteria of Matapeake Middle School. Both students and parents were excited to wrap the presents. “We had a few presents left over and they were donated for a good cause…the Adopt-A-Bear program here in Queen Anne’s Count.” Kim said.

Kim hopes to continue The Giving Bus in 2012 and would like to include visits to local senior centers and hospitals. “I have all kinds of ideas. This is important for the kids on my bus route by giving back to the community where they live,” Kim says. “It also shows that Eastern Shore residents are so giving of their time and money.”

For more information on how you can help next year, contact Kim Calvert at 301-752-2063 or at 410-643-4541. You also can also email her at kgcalvert@msn.com.