The Friday Finish - Serving Lasts Longer - Farmers Market Opening - Roots, Tradition and a Seat - Saving Money, Saving Time
- Tim Crawford
- 6 minutes ago
- 6 min read
June 12, 2026
Learning to Serve Lasts Longer than Paint
Don Mecomber brings his personal experience serving as a volunteer at Red Bird Mission Work Camp to his full time staff position of Volunteer Coordinator. In just his second week on the job, Don took a few minutes to share how his family came to answer a call to serve at Red Bird, and some of his vision of fulfilling this important role of connecting volunteers from around the country to service at Red Bird Mission.
Don’s first experience at Red Bird serving in 2025 with the Son’s Life Missionary Church mission team set the stage for the move to Kentucky. Don said,
“I had the chance to come on a work camp trip, and immediately just thought, ‘This place is special.’”
Don said that he and his wife, Amanda, and their family are always praying, “God put us where you want us, and show us what you have for us.” He continued to keep up with Red Bird and saw that there were a couple of positions that had come open but he didn’t think much about it at first. It wasn’t until February that Don said he and Amanda decided to inquire more about the available positions at Red Bird in Work Camp and Human Resources.
Don said,
“From that point, God removed barriers and opened doors and just made it clear that this is where we're supposed to go.”
The number of people volunteering at Red Bird has remained low since the COVID pandemic, but Don hopes to use all of his previous experiences serving as a youth and outreach pastor to grow the number of Work Camp volunteers coming to Red Bird. He humbly said,
“I think that God has gifted me with the ability to connect people together and to share what I saw at Work Camp to create a space for volunteers to come and to serve and to just build on Red Bird's mission as a whole.”
Don sees training disciples and teaching service as an important ministry that Work Camp does for every volunteer. He said,
“Learning how to serve, learning how to use whatever gifts they have, whatever previous knowledge they have doesn't just last a week. That will last much longer than just about any paint we can put on anything.”
Farmers Market Opening Day Successful
Seventy-five (75) people came out to the Red Bird Farmers Market Opening Day today to buy homegrown eggs, kohlrabi, cabbage, green onions, kale, new potatoes, cauliflower, cucumbers, and more from seven market vendors. Value added products and baked goods were also available. Lots of folks were passing by the lawn adjacent to the pavilion to see the Silkie chickens that one vendor was selling today.
Sales reported by vendors today totaled $506! Market incentives provided for older adults help those with low income buy fresh, locally grown produce. Today, qualifying older adults picked up $1,260 in vouchers or cards for use next week and later in the gardening season.
Margie Stelzer, Community Farm Alliance, Kentucky Double Dollars Administrative Coordinator came out to interview farmers, shoppers and market staff to keep improving the process of providing access to nutritious fresh produce to as many older adults and families with children as possible!
Roots, Traditions, and a Seat Left Empty for Wayne
There’s an old saying in these mountains that the best kind of learning happens when you’re sitting on the porch swing, listening to someone who has spent a lifetime figuring out the right way to do things. That’s exactly how this week’s Red Bird Mission Grow Appalachia meeting felt Tuesday. It was a full house that had all the warmth and closeness of a family reunion rolled into one.
The big crowd gathered in to learn the timeless art of food preservation. In a mountain kitchen, puttin' up food isn’t just a hobby; it’s a way of keeping our heritage alive and making sure the cellar is stocked for the harder months. Folks watched closely during a live demonstration on how to can homemade pickles the proper way. There wasn't a wandering eye in the room as everyone took note of the safety steps, learning how to steer clear of things like botulism so our jars stay safe and sound. When the jars were sealed, the questions started flying, with folks asking, “Now, how long before we can finally pop these open and eat 'em?”
The evening wrapped up with a whole lot of fun during the raffle ticket drawing. It felt a bit like “The Price is Right” as numbers were called and folks were told to “come on down!” There wasn't any cash changing hands, but you would’ve thought people hit the jackpot by the smiles on their faces. Neighbors headed back up these hollers with their choice of prizes—shiny new mason jars, sturdy digging hoes, canning kits, and a couple of fine pressure cookers. It was a beautiful reminder of what happens when a community shows up to support one.
But as we looked around the room, through all the storytelling and the catching up, there was a heavy feeling in our hearts. These meetings have always felt like a gathering of cousins, but this week, a very special seat was left empty. Our Grow Appalachia family is grieving the passing of one of our very own, Mr. Wayne Dickerson, who has gone on to do his gardening in Heaven. Wayne was a man who knew the dirt. He had been gardening his whole life, and nothing brought him quite as much joy as watching things grow. He loved tending to his peppers, his corn, and especially those old, precious varieties of heirloom corn that require patience and a gentle hand.
Though he originally came to us from up in Louisville, it didn’t take long for these mountains to claim him. Wayne fell in love with this valley, putting down deep, strong roots right here alongside his loving family. He was right there with us from the very beginning, signing up as one of our first Grow Appalachia members back in 2010. He truly, deeply loved this program—but more than that, he loved the people in it. He was, above all else, a great friend. As I like to say around here: once a Grow Appalachia member, always a Grow Appalachia member.
Wayne’s heart, however, stretched far beyond the garden gates. For 35 years, he served as the Head Janitor at the Red Bird School. To all the kids, teachers, and staff who walked those hallways over three decades, Wayne was so much more than an employee. He was the familiar face that welcomed you when your day was heavy. He was a trusted confidant, a referee on the court, a dedicated coach, and a mentor to countless young souls. Whether you needed a practical piece of advice, a helping hand with a heavy load, or just a kind word to keep you going, Wayne never hesitated to give it.
The seeds Wayne planted in the lives of our community and our children will continue to bloom for generations to come. We are so deeply thankful for the seasons we were blessed to share with him in the garden and in our lives. As the sun sets over the mountains tonight, please keep Wayne’s family close in your thoughts and remember them when you say your prayers. He will be missed, but we know the gardens up above are looking a whole lot brighter today.
- Kayla Smith, Development Gifts and Media
Saving Money, Saving Time
The new floor scrubber needed at Red Bird Christian School will cut down the amount of time spent on floor wax stripping and reapplication each summer, but a major factor for Allen Wilder, Red Bird Compliance Support Manager, is the cost savings for materials used to strip and wax all of the floors each year. Allen said,
“The cost of floor wax stripper and wax has gotten so high for us to buy. This new scrubber will be much more efficient maintaining our floors so that we won’t be buying stripper and wax for the entire school each year. We expect that we will only need to remove and reapply new wax only once every four years.”
Another efficiency for custodians Ethan Smith and Amey Gibson is elimination of two machines – one for scrubbing and another for removing waste water. Ethan said that the new machine would have capacity to scrub and vacuum water in one operation. Ethan and Amey are making progress on getting the heavy duty work of stripping and waxing floors done but said the new machine would cut their time down on that task so that other summer maintenance work could be done before teachers come next month to prepare for the new school year.
The needle on our goal to raise the needed $6,800 has moved up in the last week, but $2,300 is still needed. You can help get this floor scrubber for summer floor maintenance by giving online, or mailing a check to Red Bird Mission, Inc., 70 Queendale Ctr, Beverly, KY 40913-9607 marked “School Floor Scrubber” in the memo line of your check.
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