January 15, 2023
Giving back: Sikeston R-6 makes annual donation to Salvation Army’s Sikeston Service Unit
The Christmas season may be over, but the spirit of giving continued Friday, Jan. 13 in the Sikeston R-6 School District. Sikeston R-6 School District officials presented a $2,945-donation to the Salvation Army Sikeston Service Unit. The district raised the funds in December through its annual Salvation Army Christmas Fundraiser, which takes place throughout December...
By Leonna Heuring/Standard Democrat
The Christmas season may be over, but the spirit of giving continued Friday, Jan. 13 in the Sikeston R-6 School District.
Sikeston R-6 School District officials presented a $2,945-donation to the Salvation Army Sikeston Service Unit. The district raised the funds in December through its annual Salvation Army Christmas Fundraiser, which takes place throughout December.
Steve Sikes, board member of the Salvation Army Sikeston Service Unit, said Friday’s donation was the Sikeston Service Unit’s largest, single donation from the Sikeston R-6 district.
Sikeston R-6 social worker Tricia Keefer, who also serves as a volunteer with the Salvation Army Sikeston Service Unit, said the district has raised funds for the local service unit for several years, but this past Christmas, district teachers and staff also volunteered to be bell ringers for the Sikeston Service Unit’s Christmas Red Kettle Campaign, which generated an additional $800 for the local unit.
“I came to our superintendent and assistant superintendents and talked about what we could do differently to raise money this year,” Keefer said. “We talked about us ringing the bell at the kettles.”
Keefer said she then went to Sikes and asked about times the district staff and also students could ring the bell at the Food Giant locations on East Malone Avenue and Main Street in Sikeston.
“We had administrators, teachers, students and clubs, teachers own children came with them and rang the bell. It was a great experience,” Keefer said.
Shifts were from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. through the week and a full day on Saturday. Volunteers started ringing the bells when the Christmas campaign began the day after Thanksgiving.
“We are thankful and appreciative to the Sikeston R-6 teachers and staff who volunteered their time ringing the bells at the red kettles,” Keefer said.
Food Giant workers and shoppers often recognized the bell ringers as their former teachers and administrators, Keefer said. Families seeing educators’ faces out in the community and outside of a school setting was important, she said.
“We want the staff to give back to the community that gives to them,” Keefer said. “As school staff, we get a lot from our community. Yes, we do a lot for our community, too, but we also benefit from this community, so you want to pay it forward. You want to give back.”
Keefer and with Sikeston R-6 Communications and Marketing Specialist Natalie Bohannon worked together to schedule bell ringers for the district.
“Tricia and Natalie did a good job of getting that information at to our teachers and staff,” said Sikeston R-6 Superintendent Shannon Holifield. “I can really see this being something we do annually through the holidays.”
Money raised for the Salvation Army Sikeston Service Unit is used to help individuals with their electricity, gas, rent, clothing, food, transportation and housing needs of residents in the service area, Keefer said.
Sikes pointed out there are rules and fund limits in place by the Salvation Army. However, 100% of the money raised stays local, he said.
“We (Salvation Army) are this community,” Sikes said. “There’s not anybody that gets the money except for the people. The Salvation Army provides us with insurance and with the voucher system, and that all costs a little bit of money, but all the money raised in Sikeston is going back into Sikeston.”
Currently there are six volunteers who help the Salvation Army Sikeston Service Unit throughout the year.
The Salvation Army Sikeston Service Unit receives referrals for assistance to individuals from community agencies, word of mouth or people. Agencies that frequently make referrals are Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corp., Helping Professionals, Cape Salvation Army, New Madrid Salvation Army, Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri and Sikeston R-6 schools, according to Keefer.
“It’s an awesome program,” Keefer said, adding Sikeston R-6 counselors, administrators and nurses will come to her with a family’s needs.
Sikes estimated 200 bell ringers volunteered for the 2022 Christmas campaign. Any individuals interested in volunteering to ring the bell for next year’s campaign should contact the Sikeston Service Unit starting in November, he said.
Overall, Keefer and Bohannon said they thought the districtwide bell-ringing and fund-raising efforts were successful.
“We have plans next year to start our fund-raising earlier, make people aware earlier and do a bigger push to get more people out there ringing the bell,” Bohannon said. “We’re happy with this year, but we want to do even better next year.”
For more information about the Salvation Army Sikeston Service Unit, call (573) 703-2958, leave a message, and the phone call will be returned. Donations, which are tax-deductible, may be mailed to: Salvation Army Sikeston Service Unit; PO Box 278; Sikeston, MO 63801.
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