The Friday Finish – January 10, 2025
Winter is here!
After a few mild winters here at Queendale, winter has come this first full week of January and looks like it intends to stay a couple of weeks. The first snowfall of 2025 came last Friday as an appetizer for what has followed. Approximately 3” came on Sunday followed by rain, followed by below freezing temperatures, followed by another inch of snow, continued frigid temps all week, and now we’re bracing for possibly another 2”-5”of snow this afternoon.
Red Bird Mission closed on Monday due to the treacherous travel conditions, but staff began coming back on Tuesday when they were able to get out of their “holler”. Red Bird Christian School students got two snow days but received NTI (Non Traditional Instruction) assignments for the balance of the week as they began a new semester.
Re-stocking the Pantries
St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee keeps trucks moving our way when they hear their last supply of boxed food is dwindling. Parkway Christian Fellowship in London, KY stepped forward in December to cover the food bank bill so more food could be ordered for winter needs. One couple from Ohio donates financially every month, but the husband who retired from Kroger dropped another load last week of fresh, frozen and canned meats; canned vegetables and soups; cheese; and paper goods that was valued at more than $5,000. A board member also stopped in the snow last Friday to donate medical supplies.
We are so grateful for all of the churches and individuals that make contributions to keep our food pantries restocked so that we can meet the need for emergency food requests during the winter. A “shout out” from the families here in the mountains to every donor that contributes money to purchase food from the food bank or delivers food to re-stock the pantries.
If you would like to donate food, please contact Community Outreach – 606-598-0520 – or email – tnolan@rbmission.org – to see what type of food is most needed.
Archers Compete in First Open Tournament
“Aim high…change your aim, change your life.” The Red Bird Christian School (RBCS) Archery Team is not only aiming at a target, but 4-12th grade archers are aiming to achieve personal goals and build the confidence to succeed. RBCS Archery went “toe to toe” Saturday against other teams throughout the region in their first open National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) Tournament at Corbin Independent Schools.
NASP tournaments typically attract a large number of participants from various schools across the region. These open tournaments provide students with an opportunity to showcase their skills in archery while introducing them to the spirit of competition and cultivating teamwork.
“They showed up, and showed out,” says Coach Kayla. “I feel such pride watching our archers gain confidence and improve. I speak for myself and Coach Danny when I say that we have a special team. Each one has talent to offer. We believe we have archers who could make it to the state competition.”
To add fun and motivation for improvement, the archers have been competing in a "shoot out" during practice. The archer with the highest score gets to have their photo placed on the wall of The Cardinal Café for all to admire and to congratulate. The first winner earning his spot on the wall is Braxton "Bullseye" Asher, 7th grade.
RBCS coaches go on to ask for support, “We need sponsors to help us support the team by giving them everything they need to succeed in this sport. This includes uniforms, arrows, targets, entry fees for tournaments and competitions.” Immense gratitude goes out to Cat Holler Candle Company for their sponsorship of each archer's entry fee for the first tournament. You can be an RBCS Archery Team Sponsor with a donation of $200, or any donation amount to help purchase needed equipment. You can contact Coach Danny Kelton Adams or Coach Kayla Smith by emailing dkadams@rbmission.org or ksmith@rbmission.org.
Getting Ready for Tax Season
January is the month that most Americans start gathering their documents and receipts in preparation for filing income tax. It’s also time for AARP tax preparer training for staff and volunteers at Red Bird Mission Community Outreach. Tracy, Charity and Lois have focused on the training modules and tests this week necessary for AARP certification so they can begin assisting with tax filing for community members in a few weeks. Tax filing assistance is free which can save hundreds of dollars for individuals on a low or fixed income.
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