Mavericks on a mission

Winter's bite has been made a lot less bitter thanks to the efforts of a special program at Clay Central/Everly Elementary.

Staff members last year spearheaded the creation of Maverick Missions, which raises money to purchase various items for local families in need. According to Director of Student Services Michelle Huntress, staff noticed children had needs that were hard for some families to meet when the weather turned cold. They wanted to do something about it, and thus Maverick Missions was formed.

"Boots and snow pants can be very expensive items that need to be replaced often as children grow, and budgets don't always stretch that far for some hard-working parents," Huntress explained.

CC/E staff member Iesha Toft was one of the driving forces behind Maverick Missions. She said the project was a no-brainer and knew the community would support it.

"Our students are precious, each with different needs that we seek to meet and assist with however we can," she said. "Maverick Missions' goal is to make life easier for our students and their families in whatever way possible."

Maverick Missions raises funds in a variety of ways. Local groups such as Royal Community Action, Hope Lutheran Church of Everly, Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Royal, and the Royal Lions Club have stepped up to donate funds in support of the project. Toft also noted community members are constantly reaching out to see what is needed and what void could be filled to help out.

"That is a bit unheard of in the world that we live in and we get to have a Hallmark card played out in real life by the acts of kindness displayed to our students, staff and school district by all around us," she said.

Maverick Missions is an ongoing program. Last year, it served at least 50 percent of the student population in some way, shape or form.

"It will likely be at least that many again this year," Huntress said.

Winter wear will be distributed to students around Christmas, but if families are in need at any time, Huntress said the school's upstairs mission resources are always available. Hygiene packs and any other necessities are distributed throughout the year as well.

Huntress has future goals for Maverick Missions. Eventually, she would like to see a club run by the students so they can understand the benefits of supporting others with clothing and other items.

"Everyone needs a hand up at some point in their lives, and often those who are helped, turn around and help another at a later point in time," Huntress said. "Mission work is all around us – and we hope our students can learn the values of civic responsibility and caring for others."

Huntress and Toft were grateful for the community's support and believed programs like Maverick Missions are what make small districts like CC/E special.

"We are very blessed to have such caring people around us in Everly, Royal, Greenville, and Rossie," Huntress said. "We have incredible community support at CC/E."