That’s pretty standard for a Trucker Buddy – but Rod takes it a step further. He sends care packages containing things like ornamental corn from his extensive garden, cotton from Georgia and rice from Louisiana.
He writes posts on behalf of his travel partner, a small stuffed black panther (the school mascot), whom the class named Shadow; many of Rod’s pictures feature Shadow “helping” with a task. Most important, he carefully reads each letter he receives and makes a point of answering every question and making a reference to what each child has asked him.
As Ms. Spatchek describes it, “Their faces light up when they hear their names mentioned as we read Rod’s emails out loud each week.” Last year, he even read two of the books the class was reading so he could participate in a book study discussion with them.
Some of the kids bring up tough issues in their letters: the loss of grandparent, a parent’s illness, the struggles of school. Rod doesn’t shy away from the difficulties; instead, he tells them about similar experiences from his own life history and how he faced them.
“It is amazing the bond that is developed between Rod and our students through the weekly emails. He is like an adopted grandpa who listens, tells stories and jokes, and even gives advice,”says Ms. Meshak.
