The Friday Finish – February 14, 2025
Love Demonstrated Through Feeding the Hungry
It was out of compassion that Jesus fed the 5,000 on a hillside in Galilee over 2,000 years ago. Christ followers from Cookeville First United Methodist Church in Tennessee showed up Monday motivated with love and compassion delivering 288 food boxes for the Red Bird Mission Emergency Food Pantry. These boxes will go out to families and individuals that run out of food and often fall between the cracks of being able to get food supplemented each month through established programs. Last year, Red Bird Mission Community Outreach gave out 943 food boxes that solved immediate hunger for 1,894 people. We believe at Red Bird Mission that God’s love is demonstrated through these gifts and other gifts of life-sustaining food received throughout the year for hungry people served by Red Bird.
“All Hands Gathering”
The transition from the bitter cold temperatures to longer days, blooming flowers, and warmer weather is quickly approaching as spring will arrive in less than 34 days. As winter fades away, Appalachian gardeners feel a sense of excitement and anticipation for the upcoming gardening season. Red Bird Mission Grow Appalachia is strategically planning and making preparations for a successful growing season as staff traveled to Berea College for the 2025 Grow Appalachia “All Hands Gathering” training on Monday, February 10th and Tuesday, February 11th.
Tracy Nolan, Community Outreach Director, and Kelton Adams, Economic Opportunities Director, spent the two days with other Grow Appalachia (GA) project coordinators and various partner organizations sharing gardening updates, resources, and techniques. The gathering consists of group seminars and workshops focused on educating gardeners on important topics such as the benefits of organic agriculture, pest management, and Black agricultural history in central Appalachia.
“I always look forward to the Grow Appalachia ‘All Hands Gathering’ in Berea every year at Berea College. It’s nice to see old friends and make new ones,”
says Kelton as he talks about his enlightening experience.
“We had a great seminar on gardening for elderly folks and what tools can help make gardening more accessible for older gardeners. I’m excited to get this year's season started and look forward to our first meeting in early March with our Red Bird GA members.”
Flooding Disrupts School and Outreach Services
Psalm 29:10: “The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.”
On the morning of Tuesday, February 11th, heavy rain began to fall and the rivers began to rise quickly and suddenly causing concern in the Red Bird Mission community. The Red Bird River rises, spilling into the track field and roads quickly start to flood. Out of abundance for safety of students and staff, Red Bird Christian School dismisses and cancels for Wednesday, February 12th.
With their pledge to love, provide and serve the community through the love of Jesus, Red Bird Mission Community Outreach could be considered the “heartbeat” of Red Bird Mission. The resources and services so kindly provided are crucial to so many families and individuals. Community Outreach aims to serve the elderly members of the community providing essential necessities such as delivery of hot meals, personal assistance, and in-home care.
Aside from main roads flooding and being inaccessible, driveways were greatly impacted causing difficulty for Community Outreach staff to reach their clients safely. These obstacles also made it difficult for the community and those in need to access services at Red Bird Mission Community Outreach such as the emergency food bank, especially with many who experienced power outages causing them to lose food.
“Our drivers made deliveries to the homes of as many clients as possible, but could not reach everyone,”
says Tracy Nolan, Community Outreach Director.
"Taking care of our clients, especially those who are vulnerable, is very important to us as well as ensuring the safety of our staff.”
Crafting with an Eye to Business
Our Red Bird Christian School STEAM DIY class is putting their creativity and skills to work! Students are designing, crafting, and selling unique handmade items at the Cardinal Café & Craft Center on the grounds of Red Bird Mission.
Through this hands-on experience, they’re learning entrepreneurship, craftsmanship, marketing, and financial literacy—all while creating beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces.
Right now, we have:
📖 Bookmarks – Some made with vintage materials (over 30 years old!)
🔑 Keychains – Inspired by classic motel room tags with a faith-based twist!
We’ll be adding more products soon and even hope to launch an Etsy store in the future! Thank you for supporting our young creators as they learn and grow.
This article originated from a post on the Red Bird Christian School Facebook Page.
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