It was a spring Saturday and the weather wasn’t good. And while thunderstorms threatened to spoil the event, BAMA Kids (BAMA stands for “Better Activities Make All-around Kids”) pressed on with an arts and crafts cultural excursion for residents of Wilcox County.

People of all ages came out to support the organization geared toward cultivating the minds of children in central Alabama, as they usually do when BAMA Kids hosts an event.

Leading the excursion was Sheryl Threadgill, executive director of BAMA Kids, who has spent the past 30 years developing the program.

Located in a refurbished utility building on Highway 221 in Camden, Bama Kids provides children in Wilcox County, ages 4-13, with academic resources and aid in reading comprehension, grammar and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) related coursework. The Alabama Power Foundation is among the supporters of BAMA Kids.

The children are also encouraged to explore other interests through BAMA Kids, by taking part in the many events the organization holds to bolster cultural appreciation within the community. This includes art excursions, an annual Kwanzaa celebration and a Black History Extravaganza that welcomes back former dancers involved in the program to perform for the current participants.

Threadgill revealed that a community misfortune fueled her desire to initiate the BAMA Kids program.

“There was an incident where a young man was killed; a store owner shot him,” she said. “The community then got together and said, ‘We need to provide some activities for our youth, keep them out of trouble.’ And that’s what we did.

“The youth are our responsibility. We can’t just turn our backs on them. And knowing that we didn’t have a lot of resources here, a population like Wilcox County, where young people really need them. We, the community, must provide the resources,” Threadgill said.

Sheryl Threadgill is the force behind BAMA Kids. (contributed)

Though originating from a place of heartbreak, BAMA Kids has been a shelter for and support to thousands of Wilcox County youth, from elementary to high school, and it’s an equally rewarding experience for the children and staff.

An alumna of Knoxville College in Knoxville, Tennessee, Threadgill began working during her senior year in 1974 for what is now the state Department of Human Resources (DHR). After graduating, getting married and relocating overseas with her military husband, a tragedy occurred, signalling a turn of events.

“My mother passed away in 1977 and I came back. I was only 24 years old and I had three younger brothers. So, I came back to help my dad with my brothers and went back to work at the Department of Human Resources,” Threadgill said. “And it was just destiny because I was contracted out to a W.K. Kellogg-funded project in Wilcox County administered out of Auburn University at Montgomery.”

At the university, Threadgill held the title of community resource developer. The job started with her supporting in-home elderly patients, helping them avoid entering nursing homes. However, she and her coworkers soon transitioned into helping underprivileged families and working with the children.

Once the Kellogg project ended, Threadgill was asked to take on another role within DHR. “When the Kellogg project was over, I was asked to be the resource development and quality assurance coordinator. Part of my job responsibilities, then, was to develop activities for the children in the care of DHR, so it was a perfect fit.”

Soon after, Threadgill started the BAMA Kids program while maintaining her position at DHR. She retired from the state in 2005 to focus on BAMA Kids, and continues to dedicate her life to its growth. 

She explained why BAMA Kids is a perfect fit for her: “It adds a different dimension to my life though I don’t usually have a lot of time for myself. That’s one downfall because I’m always working on grant proposals, working on reports.”

Threadgill added, “However, I love the hands-on experience, you know? I like going to the center. I like reading to the children. I like doing life skills with the kids. Even though we have people in place to do those kinds of things, I just love doing that. I have always loved working with children and working in my church with children.”

Threadgill is devoted to the children of Wilcox County. (contributed)

Children across Wilcox County have been enriched by BAMA Kids programs. (BAMA Kids)

Every aspect of her upbringing prepared her for this calling, she said.

“Both of my parents were very involved in the community. My father was a Presbyterian minister, and my mother was a home economics teacher. Both of them were very involved with young people. My mother had beauty pageants. She taught a lot about self-esteem, self-awareness and inner beauty. And my father was always trying to get someone into college.

“I ran into somebody the other day and they said, ‘I know you. When you were a little girl, your dad helped me get a job.’”

Today, what Threadgill finds most gratifying is when former participants express the positive impact the program had on their lives.

“You never know whose lives you touch. I saw a young man one day at lunch and he said, ‘I remember you looking after me and my family.’ You just don’t know what lives you touch. That keeps me motivated when I run into adults who talk about the influence that BAMA Kids had on their lives.

“We see so much tragedy in this world, especially around us and in the lives of the youth,” Threadgill said. “I just want to see young people be able to thrive.”

Kaitlin Stabler, a Living Democracy student at Auburn University, spent this summer living and learning in her hometown of Camden in Wilcox County, Alabama, as a Jean O’Connor Snyder Intern with the David Mathews Center for Civic Life. The nonprofit program, coordinated by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts, prepares undergraduate college students for civic life through living-learning experiences in the summer.