The Friday Finish - Gifts Doubled Tuesday - Authentic Appalachian - Senior Class Celebrated - More Than a Meal - SOAR Induction - People Who Care
- Tim Crawford
- May 8
- 5 min read
May 8, 2026
Matching Funds of $27,000 Available for KY Gives Day
The opportunity to increase your gift to fight hunger, improve health, and improve housing to help folks see the bright side of life is now just four days away. The online giving site is already open but matching gifts won’t be available until Tuesday, May 12th, Kentucky Gives Day 2026. Donations are especially needed now to keep pace with the increased needs of the people Red Bird serves and rising costs associated with providing services.
Generous supporters and members of the board of directors for Red Bird Mission, Inc., and Red Bird Clinic, Inc. are already committing $7,250 for one-to-one matching that will double gifts made on May 12th. Red Bird supporters are encouraged to make their online giving through the Kentucky Gives Day Red Bird Mission and Clinic page - on May 12th because of the potential for additional matching funds up to $100 per donor from a $20,000 match pool offered by Kentucky Nonprofit Network (KNN), the organizer of Kentucky Gives Day. In addition, gifts during certain hours to Red Bird could win additional funds from more than $5,000 set aside by KNN for prizes to be awarded to organizations throughout the day.
Link to the Red Bird page today to read the stories, and if you are unable to give on the 12th, make a gift before the 12th, or the day after, to be counted in the KY Gives Day Red Bird campaign. You’re still making a difference in the lives of people Red Bird serves. The KY Gives site has a “Prizes” button with information about the prizes and the times. Your gift could also be counted to win funds for Red Bird on May 12th. You can also link to a document on our website that gives the details of when matching gifts will be released from Red Bird and the hours KNN will match gifts.
If you prefer to mail your gift to Red Bird Mission, Inc., 70 Queendale Ctr, Beverly, KY 40913-9607, add “KY Gives Day” in the memo line of your check, and contact us by phone – 606-598-3155 – or email – development@rbmission.org – to have your gift matched.
The 2025-26 school year at Red Bird Christian School is down to the final week of classes and graduation. Awards and culminating projects were being presented this week with an eye towards the last day of class on May 15th and graduation on Sunday, May 17th.
Authentic Appalachian Life
Last Friday, the Red Bird Christian School (RBCS) Appalachian Studies and Ag Science classes made a trip to the Sheep Shearing Days at the Museum of Appalachia in Clinton, Tennessee. The trip was made possible through a Folk Arts and Cultures grant from the Berea Appalachian Fund.
The day was more than just sheep shearing and herding demonstrations. RBCS students joined hundreds of students from schools in the region to also hear live Appalachian music and storytelling. They learned about a variety of Appalachian traditions like blacksmithing, basket making, quilt making, candle dipping, beekeeping and many more traditions that have been essential to everyday life for generations.
Mrs. Patty Vance, RBCS Appalachian Studies Teacher, shared in a Facebook post,
“We’ve spent time this year studying heritage, music, crafts, and the everyday lives of Appalachian people, and today tied it all together. It gave students a deeper appreciation for the knowledge and skills that have been passed down through generations and are still important today.
“Days like this make learning meaningful, and
I’m thankful they had the opportunity to step outside the classroom and experience Appalachian culture in such an authentic way.”
Senior Class Celebrated
Red Bird Christian School Class of 2026 families gathered Monday night to celebrate the scholastic, athletic and class accomplishments of the 12 graduating seniors. Over $130,000 of post-secondary scholarships were also announced by representatives from community and technical colleges, universities, families, and organizations.
On Thursday, seniors were treated to a special, private breakfast cooked by dorm staff and
hosted at the Bonnie Adams Lawson Dormitory. The atmosphere was a perfect time for the students to reminisce and remember shared experiences both in and out of the classroom. Most named the senior trips to Gulf Shores and Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge as some of their favorite times together, but previous seasons in sports took the top for some of the athletes.
Although the number of students may be considered small for a graduating class, the bonds they have built and their unity holds promise for more great accomplishments from the RBCS Class of 2026.
More than a Meal, Diabetes Nutrition
Some have characterized senior centers as just a place to get a free meal, but the Red Bird Mission DeWall Senior Center is a place to learn relevant information for living a better life. An attentive group kicked off a series of weekly workshops on managing diabetes to be held at the Red Bird Mission DeWall Senior Center on the Beverly Campus. The six workshops are a program of the University of Louisville Trager Institute’s Diabetes Self-Management to help people with diabetes or pre-diabetes learn lifestyle changes that can improve quality of life.
One DeWall Center participant noted,
"This class kind a ties in with the Living A Healthy Life class we just finished."
SOAR Induction
It was clear on Wednesday that leadership is being taught at Red Bird Christian School as Fifth and Six Grade members of RBCS’s SOAR Honor Society conducted the induction ceremony to add four new members. The honor society recognizes and admits to membership those that have proven to be and commit to: 1) Serving God and others; 2) Outstanding Leadership; 3) Academic Excellence; and 4) Responsible Citizenship.
Sixth Grade members Ashlyn Adams, Ashtyn Collett and Bristol Smith served as Masters of Ceremony for the event. Fifth Graders Marcus Adams, Natalie Asher, Shaylee Goodin and Cambree Holland read the Qualities for Membership prior to the recitation of the SOAR Pledge by both existing and incoming members. Tokens of membership were then presented to the inductees – Fourth Grade: Marlee Barrett, Finley Smith and Madalyn Smith; and Fifth Grade: Mackenzie Perry.
People Who Care
Tracy Nolan, Red Bird Mission Community Outreach Director, shared the following result of her time spent sharing about Red Bird with a student group that she encountered several years ago through the Berea College Appalachian Fund.
“I met Gabriella and Hannah yesterday [Wednesday] in the rain to receive a very compassionate donation from the People Who Care (PWC) Team, Center for Excellence in Learning Through Service (CELTS) at Berea College.
“Their service team invited me to speak with their members about the ministries of Red Bird Mission and Clinic. From that, they voted on a service project to provide Blessing Boxes to many of the children and older adults we serve. These kits have inspirational cards and personalized messages and decorated boxes, and include vital basic food and hygiene needs as well as brain health activities and gardening supplies to celebrate life and spring.
“I am inspired by this student led service team to take on this project from beginning to end!”
One of the women delivering the Blessing Boxes, Hannah, shared a little more about the organization and their experience with Tracy.
“People Who Care is the oldest student lead non-profit on Berea College's Campus. As a part of the Center of Excellence of Learning Through Service, People Who Care works to educate students about social justice issues in their community, as well as provide a variety of volunteer opportunities for students. We are focused on developing empathy and understanding for all people in our community, including those at Red Bird Mission!
“I was so happy to work with you this semester. I could not be any happier to see you and deliver these boxes. My volunteers and team really worked hard to make all of this come together.”
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