The Friday Finish - Latrobe Donation Arrives - Awareness & Aviation - The Moment We've Been Buzzing - Diabetes Support - Just What's Needed - Staff Spotlight - Teachers, Tiaras, Tattoos, Overalls
- Tim Crawford
- Mar 21
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 25
March 21, 2025
Latrobe True Value Donation Arrives
We learned about Curk Fry’s quick thinking and compassion for the people served by Red Bird Mission in February. When ownership was changing at the Latrobe True Value in February where Curk works and the new management had excess inventory to donate somewhere, he thought immediately of his twin sister, Sherry, and the trips she’s made to Red Bird Mission Work Camp. It didn’t take long for her to contact Brad Kulp, Work Camp Volunteer Manager, to agree the donation would help a lot of people in eastern Kentucky. The delivery of paint, motor oil, a ladder, pet food and other useful supplies to Red Bird Mission was completed on Friday.
Sherry’s been coming with Work Camp teams from the Latrobe area in Pennsylvania led by Jeff Hunter for a decade to repair homes through Work Camp. Red Bird has another strong connection to Jeff and the folks in the Latrobe area. Cindy Knuckles, former Red Bird Dental Clinic staff and graduate of our school, met Jeff’s brother, Greg, when she worked as a crew leader for Work Camp at a time there was no dentist at the clinic. She married Greg and now lives in Pennsylvania, but she and Greg returned this week volunteering as crew leaders to help a youth Work Camp team from Asbury Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Awareness & Aviation Shared
Red Bird Christian School Civil Air Patrol Cadet (CAP) Squadron is proud to announce the creation of their new podcast, which will be broadcast over a local radio station. CAP Public Affairs is all about sharing the mission and activities of the Civil Air Patrol Program with the public, helping to build awareness and support for the program. As a part of Public Affairs, the podcast is designed to captivate the community and unveil the fascinating world of aviation!
Prepare to take flight as we provide essential insights on aviation, leadership, upcoming events, and the latest updates from CAP. Tune in to Red Bird Radio for exciting Public Service Announcements brought to you by the Red Bird Civil Air Patrol Cadet Squadron, airing on your local FM radio stations 106.3, 100.5 and 101.1.
In addition to the podcast, Red Bird Christian School 801st Cadet Squadron is eager to display the latest happenings and events at Red Bird Mission and Red Bird Christian School in their very own exciting newsletter titled "Chronicles of the Cardinals."
Read more and see more pics on Kayla's blog post, Chronicles of the Cardinals: You're On-Air With Red Bird Radio
For Us Community Gardeners, the Moment We've Been Buzzing About is Finally Here: Spring!
The Red Bird Mission Grow Appalachia program launched the garden season with a bang at their first meeting on Tuesday, March 18th, and it was an incredible success.
Key Highlights from the Meeting
Introduction of New Participants: The meeting welcomed new gardeners who were eager to learn and contribute to the program.
Training Sessions: Red Bird Mission Grow Appalachia conducted a group training session with education on garden planning, gardening techniques and efficient pest control.
Resource Distribution: Grow Appalachia staff and helping hands of volunteers distributed seed potatoes, onions, peas, and garden fertilizer to all the eager participants who patiently awaited their turn!
Looking Ahead
As the first meeting of the garden season for Red Bird Mission Grow Appalachia came to a close, attendees departed with inspiration and hopes for a triumphant gardening season ahead!
God Always Provides Just What is Needed
While volunteering in the Outreach Food Pantry on Thursday, an elderly lady came in for an emergency food box. She just happened to ask if we had any shoes, as her feet were really swollen and she needed a larger size than what she was wearing.
Tracy, Outreach Director, had a few pair of shoes for a reason such as this, and of course, God provided just the right size this lady needed! Also, in an awesome humbling moment, Tracy knelt down and put these new socks and shoes on her client’s feet. What devotion and love is shown to clients by Red Bird Mission staff!
Submitted by Brenda Dickirson, Volunteer
Diabetes Support Comes to Red Bird
Residents with diabetes conditions served by Red Bird Mission Community Outreach had two opportunities this week for assistance without having to drive long distances. Kentucky Homeplace staff were present on Tuesday to assist those with diabetes get special footwear at the Diabetic Shoe Clinic. A certified Pedorthist was able to meet with patients referred by their health care provider to measure and select shoes that will help circulatory issues. Additionally, information was available from the Clay County Diabetes Coalition to help affected persons with management of their diabetes condition. The people served at Red Bird Mission would likely be unable to receive this assistance due to the distance they would have to drive otherwise.
Staff Spotlight of the Week: Inside the World of a Preschool Teacher
Meet The Early Childhood Development (ECD) Teacher, Amy Collett
Amy has been a passionate and treasured member of the Red Bird Mission staff for an
incredible 31 years! Both former and current preschool students hold Miss Amy dear to their heart for her loving and kind nature in the classroom. She is truly one of a kind. At the exciting start of her journey as Preschool Educator at Red Bird Mission ECD (Early Childhood Development), Amy began as an aide and home visitor in 1994. Working closely with Shirley Crouse and Betsy Jack, Amy gained valuable insights and skills from her mentors.
Teachers, Tiaras, Tattoos and Overalls?
Students, staff and student families have “shouldered the load” of longer school days for the past four weeks to make up for the lost instruction time with the winter storms and flooding. The Red Bird Christian School teachers decided to make this final week of extra time a little more interesting and engaging for students with a “mystery” teacher spirit week.
Angela Crawford, Spanish and High School Geography Teacher explained,
“We decided to do the spirit themes this week to try and keep the students engaged during the last week of our extended day schedule. The students were not told ahead of time what the teachers were doing. Many students noticed and were asking questions about why the teachers were wearing the different themed items. Our response varied depending on the day – ‘We woke up feeling royal,’ ‘We woke up on the wild side,’ ‘We woke up feeling school spirit,’ ‘We woke up feeling like we wanted to travel back in time,’ and ‘We woke up feeling over it all (the extra hour of classes).’”
The themes were: Royalty (tiaras), Temporary Tattoos, Red Day for Red Bird, Throwback Dress, Overalls Dress Day.
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