The Friday Finish - KY Gives Hope - Excellence in Art - Motorcyclists Discover Red Bird - SOAR Celebrates Achievements - Fresh Cuts Lift Spirits - Seniors Honored
- Tim Crawford
- May 9
- 6 min read
Updated: May 9
May 9, 2025
Give Hope on KY Gives Day
Double your gift on Tuesday
Hope comes in many forms to more than 11,000 people each year – a week’s supply of food for a hungry household, a roof that doesn’t leak, a nutritious meal delivered or served, career preparation for a bright future. These are just of few of the ways Red Bird Mission, Inc., and Red Bird Clinic, Inc. bring hope to individuals and families.
You have an opportunity to continue providing hope on Kentucky Gives Day, Tuesday, May 13th by giving to Red Bird Mission and Red Bird Clinic. Yesterday, the members of the Red Bird Boards of Directors pledged individual matching gifts of $6,000. Today, a faithful donor and a new donor pledged $7,500. That means there is a total of $13,500 already committed to match gifts for Kentucky Gives Day to double your gift.
The timing of your gift could also make additional impact because the Kentucky Gives Day sponsoring organization, Kentucky Nonprofit Network, will be awarding $250 prizes during “Power Hours” for the charitable organization with the most unique donors (only one gift counts per donor in the hour). Set a reminder to give during the four Power Hours to increase the donations potential for Red Bird – 6-7 am, 10-11 am, 4-5 pm & 9-10 pm (All EDT times). Additionally, Red Bird could be awarded a $100 Golden Ticket prize through random selection among donors giving during Golden Ticket hours.
If you are unable to give online Tuesday, the Kentucky Gives Day site is open for early gifts and will remain open until 11:59 pm on the 14th. If you can’t give online, you can still give by mailing a check marked “KY Gives Day” payable to Red Bird Mission, Inc., 70 Queendale Ctr, Beverly, KY 40913.
Creativity + Self-expression = Excellence in Art
The Clay County 4H Art competition featured a special display of creativity and self-expression by middle school students from Red Bird Christian School (RBCS) on Monday. This year's event was an eye-catching display of amazing artistic talents set up in the halls of RBCS. This gave these young artists a great opportunity to share their art with peers and staff of RBCS.
In this competition, students from grades 6 to 8 pour their entire heart into their artwork. Each piece was a window into the individual artist’s world, revealing their personal viewpoints and creativity. The range of styles and themes was remarkable, from colorful water paintings depicting nature to portraits depicting characters from the bible.
The students competed for the blue and purple ribbons, symbolizing excellence in art. The excitement of the competition inspired everyone to improve their abilities, and many secured those sought-after ribbons. The remarkable success of this art show would not have been possible without the collaboration with Clay County Extension 4-H Youth Development, led by Agent Alyssa Ackerman. This experience not only improved their artistic abilities but also helped them recognize art as an exciting form of self-expression.
The goal of Art Appreciation at RBCS is to help students understand and enjoy the beauty, skill, and importance of artworks. This includes analyzing and interpreting elements like color, form, and composition, as well as understanding the historical and cultural context in which the art was created. This class also touches on a Biblical Worldview and explores Appalachian Culture.
Leading this thriving arts program is Rebecca Smallwood, a wonderful and dedicated art teacher who's all about encouraging her students' creativity. Her passion for art and commitment to her students creates a loving and accepting atmosphere for artistic growth. Rebecca invests significant time and effort in mentoring her students, helping them navigate various forms of art.
Motorcyclists Discover Red Bird
Dan and Ed were enjoying a spring ride through the mountains on Highway 66 Wednesday when the Queendale Campus piqued their curiosity. Their faith likely played a role, too, as we learned Dan attends St. Mark United Methodist Church in Carmel, Indiana, and Ed attends Richmond (KY) Church of God. They stopped by Community Outreach to get some insight about Red Bird Mission and enjoyed lunch at The Cardinal Café before motoring on their trip.
Visitors are always welcome at Red Bird Mission. We’d like to show you around the campus and tell you about the awesome things happening to provide opportunities for the people we serve in these remote mountain communities. Contact us in advance so we can have someone ready to show you around, especially if you’d like to come on the weekend since our programs run mostly Monday through Friday.
SOAR Celebrates Elementary School Achievements
The SOAR Elementary Honor Society induction ceremony at Red Bird Christian School is an anticipated celebration of new beginnings and remarkable achievements. Every year, this event is a significant milestone for students who've shined academically and shown great leadership. This time around, we were thrilled to welcome five new members to the SOAR family!
The event began Wednesday with a heartfelt performance by students from the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades as they presented an amazing version of the song, "My Jesus." Music truly has the power to unite people, and this performance captured that beautifully. Among the talented group, 4th grader Ella Jackson stood out with her awesome piano skills, giving the event an unforgettable touch. The audience was absolutely captivated by her incredible talent and the students' harmonious singing!
As the new members of the SOAR Honor Society were announced, you could feel the pride radiating from their families' faces, and the applause that erupted filled the chapel with excitement. Congratulations to Marcus Adams, Natalie Asher, Ella Jackson, Shaylee Goodwin, and Cambree Holland! As they embark on this exciting new chapter, we eagerly anticipate the ways they will spread their wings and soar to new heights. This incredible journey marks the start of an extraordinary adventure!
This event may represent a conclusion, but it also marks the beginning of countless opportunities for these young students. The leadership roles and academic excellence are sure to shape their futures in meaningful ways.
Fresh Cuts Lift Spirits
Construction skills are not the only skills that are appreciated at Red Bird Mission. This week, residents living in the Red Bird Mission Elderly Housing apartments and other community folks got free haircuts at Community Outreach. Dori came with the College Place Methodist Church Work Camp group and used her scissors and other styling equipment to “lower ears” and lift spirits.
If you’d like to volunteer your special talents, submit the individual volunteer application on our website, or talk with your Work Camp group leader about coming along for a different kind of “home improvement.”
Seniors Honored & Awarded Over $800,000 in Scholarships
With graduation for the Class of 2025 just eight days away, family, friends and faculty gathered Thursday to witness the awarding of over $800,000 in college scholarships as well as Red Bird Christian School (RBCS) achievement awards for the 25 soon-to-be Red Bird alumni. The evening kicked off with Leah Ray signing on to play volleyball at Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, Kentucky. Mr. Adam Slone of Alice Lloyd College also presented Leah and Sarah Adams with scholarships to cover their cost of education for 10 semesters.
College scholarship awards continued after the taco dinner catered by The Cardinal Café. Mrs. Jennifer Wilder, RBCS Principal, and RBCS faculty announced scholarships awarded by colleges and universities to graduates attending Berea College, Georgia State University, Morehead State University, University of Kentucky and University of Louisville. Scholarships funded locally through Red Bird Mission and other individuals or organizations were announced for Valedictorian, Salutatorian, Virgie Collett Memorial, Red Bird School Alumni Association, Stevens Memorial United Methodist Church, WYMT Mountain Classic, Clay County Shrine Club and Jackson Energy.
Cords and honors were presented for A-B Honor Roll, Principal’s List, GPA, National Honor Society, Athletics, Class Officers, Music and Fine Arts, Civil Air Patrol and Endurance. Teachers presented academic awards for Language Arts, Spanish/Foreign Language, Science, Social Studies and Business/Finance. Mrs. Wilder and Mrs. Melanie Adams, RBCS Guidance Counselor, ended the awards night with Class Awards for Best Citizen, Outstanding Senior, Student Fidelity (12 years at RBCS), Servant Leader, Salutatorian and Valedictorian.
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