The Friday Finish - Snow, Ice Shut Down - Essential Services Reopened - Love Your Neighbor - Little Box Helps - Volunteer Braves Snow - Hoosier Van
- Tim Crawford
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
January 30, 2026
Ice and Snow Shut Down Red Bird
Parking lots were full in the towns surrounding Red Bird Mission last Friday as folks scurried around getting last minute essentials in preparation for weekend predictions of 3-5” of snow followed by ¾” of ice in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. In addition to bread, milk and eggs, long lines were seen at propane filling stations and most folks had extra batteries in their shopping carts.
Snow came on Saturday into Sunday and rain falling Sunday afternoon with freezing temps, but thankfully, totals came in at the lower end of the predictions. Some Red Bird staff living off campus lost electricity, but power stayed on at the Queendale Campus. Rain falling on top of the snow and plummeting temps on Monday created dangerous, frozen road and walkway surfaces. Telecommunications were lost Sunday when the main cable was accidentally cut during tree removal on the state highway. Executive Director Jamie Collett decided that staff and those needing services would be best served by closing Red Bird Mission on Monday and Tuesday.
Essential Services Reopened/Rescheduled
God’s Pantry Food Bank in Lexington rescheduled Monday’s food delivery for 204 Senior Commodities boxes due to icy conditions. Heat was turned on in the Red Bird Mission God’s Storehouse to keep a donation of sweet potatoes from freezing until commodity distribution takes place.
Candace Collins, Red Bird Mission Women and Children Ministries Coordinator, said that most folks weren’t getting out on Wednesday, but staff received concerned calls from commodity recipients because they hadn’t seen the postponement notice and were unable to get to the Mission. By Thursday, the pace was hectic at Red Bird Community Outreach as folks that lost power were needing food, and some of those commodity recipients needed food to carry them through until Tuesday, the rescheduled distribution date.
Candace said that the coats delivered after Christmas were needed this week. Some coming in for food did not have adequate clothes for the cold weather, but staff were able to send them home warmer with proper winter coats. Hats, gloves and scarves available in the Community Outreach lobby “disappeared” through the day, too.
As expected, Red Bird Christian School was closed like many schools in the winter storm zone leading to the entire week being declared NTI (Non-Traditional Instruction) days. Teachers had prepared assignments last week and advised students to spend some time completing academic work during this unscheduled “winter vacation”.
Love Your Neighbor
Kelton and Melanie Adams and Cecil Hall are just a couple examples of the kind of helpful, caring people who make Red Bird Mission what it is. Our people don’t do it for credit. They just quietly show up when the rest of us are stuck and scared. There are so many here, and I thank God for every one of them.
Around here are single mothers like myself, elderly neighbors, folks who haven’t got proper heat or clothing for this weather, or even a vehicle if they get trapped. When the power goes out or phones go down, those are the people I think about first. If that’s you, I want you to know you’re not forgotten. You matter. We need to check on each other, knock on doors and offer any help we’re able to give.
We’re not out of the trenches yet, my friends. We still have cold temperatures and ice lingering around every turn and corner. Most of us live in hollers or on hills, so just getting to work means walking and trying not to bust your rump while you do it. Eastern Kentucky folk have to be some of the toughest people I know. We’ve survived floods, snow, loss, and a whole lot of in‑between. Somehow, we always find a way.
So we’re going to keep doing the best we can. Until then, we will pray for you and you pray for us. But don’t just pray—put feet on those prayers. Check on that neighbor, share a meal, give somebody a ride, throw an extra blanket in somebody’s hands. Do something to help. That’s carrying out the work of the Lord right here in our mountains.
“‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:31
- Kayla Smith, Development Gifts & Media
Little Box Helps Hearing
Our mountainous region in southeast Kentucky is known for its humidity, which can cause corrosion of the internal components of the hearing devices. Dr. Kelli McGuire, University of Cincinnati Audiology Professor, delivered a Redux machine to the Red Bird Community Health Humanitarian Hearing Program last fall. The Redux has already assisted in improving the quality of hearing and prolonged the life of hearing aids by wicking the moisture from the devices that can cause decreased performance, static, and malfunction.
Red Bird Community Outreach Director Tracy Nolan, RN, BSN, directs and implements Red Bird Community Health programs which includes the Humanitarian Hearing Health Program at Red Bird. Tracy said, “Previously clients would need to wait for the free humanitarian clinics scheduled twice a year to get access to a Redux machine that the universities or audiologists would bring to wick off the moisture. But thanks to this donation, Community Health staff can now assist with this service year round by appointment!”
Tax-Aide Volunteer Braves Snow, Ice
Red Bird Mission Community Outreach assisted with 13 free tax returns this week, braving the snow and ice to get them done! One AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteer proved her commitment of service to her community in a big way this week. She walked down layers of ice on a long steep driveway in single digit temperatures during the dark hours of the morning to catch a ride to the Mission to keep the appointments that had been made.
Our trained team was able to apply several of the new credits increasing refunds and reducing taxable income. These included deduction of vehicle loan interest on a new vehicle purchase in 2025, deduction for qualified overtime, deduction for seniors, and enrollment of children born in 2025 into Trump Savings Accounts.
We look forward to a great tax prep season. Appointments are still available, and can be made by calling 606-598-0520.
Hoosier Van for Work Camp
St. Mark’s United Methodist Church of Carmel, Indiana recently purchased this 2024 Ford Transit van for Red Bird Work Camp with only 12,000 miles on it. What a great and thoughtful gift that will help us safely get work campers, tools and material into our hollers to serve!
Two Hoosiers even met our crew halfway in Sadieville, Kentucky on Thursday to hand off the van. We are so grateful for partners who go the extra mile to invest in this mission in such a practical way.