Stories of Impact

Red Bird Mission staff and volunteers working in the Schaeffer Building aren’t looking for empty trash cans and flood buckets when summer thunderstorms roll through the Red Bird River Valley thanks to a complete professional roof replacement finished this summer.

Richard and Deborah White made a quick trip from middle Tennessee this week to drop off a donation for the school and donations of needed items at Community Outreach on Tuesday morning. Deb was excited to share how God had worked to help fill the UHaul truck.

Work Camp volunteers oftentimes bring a double blessing to campus because they bring needed items from their hometown and spend four days doing home repair for someone living below the poverty line. Monday, the Wet Feet Ministries Work Camp team unloaded a trailer full of durable medical equipment like walkers and shower benches that is needed but unaffordable by people living here in the mountains.

Work Camp volunteers oftentimes bring a double blessing to campus because they bring needed items from their hometown and spend four days doing home repair for someone living below the poverty line. Monday, the Wet Feet Ministries Work Camp team unloaded a trailer full of durable medical equipment like walkers and shower benches that is needed but unaffordable by people living here in the mountains.

Before it was over, I told her I could have easily stayed right there and talked to her all day. It’s just that special kind of feeling you get when you’re sitting down and talking with your mamaw—In the mountains, comparing someone to your mamaw is the absolute highest compliment you can give—it means instant safety, warmth, and home.

From June 15-18, the folks at Rural Up hosted their STEM Explorer Camp, and let me tell you, it has been something truly special for our community.

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.

The vision of providing opportunities for training and working from community that Red Bird leadership began to put on paper six years ago is taking a huge step forward with this week’s public announcement of a major grant award. Red Bird Mission, Inc., has been awarded $1.9 million by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for the Red Bird Mission Connected Campus Initiative that will bring reliable, high-speed internet to its campus in Clay County, Kentucky.

Red Bird was in a similar mode since last week celebrating commencements across the campus that draw our families and community together to mark the accomplishments of our children and youth during the 105 years of education at the Red Bird Mission.

After discussing for years the dilemma requiring every student pay tuition between $100 and $610 to offset the annual education cost of approximately $7,000 per student at Red Bird Christian School (RBCS), the Red Bird Mission Board of Directors took action yesterday to eliminate the tuition requirement beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.

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.

Storytelling is an art that is perfected with time, and most Appalachians have been entertained by Jack Tales for generations. Joel Brashear has been telling stories for over 20 years, and Thursday he captured the attention of students that filled the Red Bird Christian School (RBCS) Chapel.

Paul grew up in Perry County, Kentucky in a hardworking family that struggled at times. He was not averse to tell people his motivation for hunger relief, saying, “I know what it means to grow up hungry as a kid.” He worked tirelessly to resource, pack and transport thousands of food boxes for the Red Bird Mission Crisis Emergency Food Pantry.

Not everyone in the Class of 2026 at Red Bird Christian School (RBCS) was able to make the week-long Senior Class Trip to Gulf Shores in October, but a day-trip to the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area in Tennessee last Friday included them. The class travelled as a group to Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, Dolly Parton’s Pirates Voyage Dinner and Show, and Wonderworks, an indoor experiential attraction that was also educational.

Normally, a line seen backed up at God’s Storehouse represents food coming from another community for hunger relief, but Tuesday night’s line was all about the Red Bird GA families providing hunger relief by growing food in the community for their community.

Saturday in Madisonville felt like one of those moments where everything lines up and you just know you're looking at something that matters.

Students in Grades 4 and 5 at Red Bird Christian School created thumbprint art recently as part of their art class to share this message: YOU are "Thumb-body" special to Jesus and to our Red Bird Family!

As I completed one stop, I saw the person for the next stop coming down the hill to meet me. He was happy to get a meal, but also didn't want me to continue up his driveway that was still covered in ice.

“This work is the heart of the mission—people are counting on this food, and no matter if it’s rain, shine, snow, or ice, we keep doing God’s work and getting it to them.”

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.