Nourishing Hearts, Inspiring Change: A Student’s Journey of Compassion and Community.

James Adam Dowell, known to the Forsyth Tech Cares and Foundation Offices as Adam, is a student at Forsyth Tech’s Transportation Technology Center. He also happens to be, thanks to his generous spirit and a program at his employer, CarMax, one of the Foundation’s top 5-10% of annual donors.

To hear him tell it, he became a top donor almost by accident. He’s been a student at Forsyth Tech for 3 years, studying general education classes part-time, while working full-time. He credits his family and upbringing with setting a good example of philanthropy when and how you can. When he heard about the Forsyth Tech Cares Office’s plans to expand food pantries beyond Main Campus, he immediately started talking with staff at the TTC and the Cares Office to learn how he could help.

Initially, he purchased supplies to help stock the pantry. Then, he learned about the CarMax Foundation’s program to make monetary donations when an employee volunteers their time. So, Adam began volunteering in the food pantry at the Transportation Technology Center for a couple of hours each week. He began volunteering in March of 2021, and hopes that his volunteerism will be a model for others to start their own projects, or ask how they can help and become more involved.

“I never really thought something as small as volunteering for a couple of hours a week would turn into something with such an impact,” says Adam. Now, he is always thinking about how he can continue to support his community, which he feels is closely tied to Forsyth Tech.

For example, he thought about how he could best utilize a bonus that he received from his job, and he decided to go to a local hardware store and purchase a freezer for the pantry so that they could expand the amount and type of food offered.

“Adam’s generosity is so appreciated! We’re fortunate to have him as a student, volunteer and donor at Forsyth Tech,” said Bill Green, Executive Director of the Forsyth Tech Foundation and Vice President for Community Engagement at Forsyth Tech.

Forsyth Tech and the Foundation are so grateful to Adam for his volunteerism and support! To become involved with the Forsyth Tech Foundation, please contact Patricia Vaughan at pvaughn@forsythtech.edu or 336.734.7381.