Schools honor volunteers
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on April 15, 2016 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/ALAN CAMPBELL
MacKenzie Hinson, 11, left, with her grandmother Carolyn Dixon, receives congratulations from Hobbton Middle School science teacher Michael Giddens after winning the Wayne County Public Schools Terry Eugene Pilkington Volunteer of the Year Award on Thursday at Tommy's Road Elementary School.
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News-Argus/ALAN CAMPBELL
Wayne County Public Schools recognized outstanding volunteers from each of the 33 schools, along with business partners who have supported the schools, on Thursday afternoon at Tommy's Road Elementary School.
An 11-year-old dynamo with a penchant for battling hunger was named this year's volunteer of the year for Wayne County Public Schools, while a town and two churches were recognized for their support of the district.
The annual volunteer and Partners in Education reception was held Thursday afternoon at Tommy's Road Elementary School.
MacKenzie Hinson, a seventh-grader, was the recipient of the Terry Eugene Pilkington Volunteer of the Year award, named for a former coordinator of the volunteer program in the district.
She was credited with investing hundreds of volunteer hours supporting students at Brogden Middle School by collecting food for the food pantry and preparing catered meals for 20 students every Friday to take home as part of a "Backpack Buddy" program.
"It is worth noting that this volunteer also operates her own food pantry and is the youngest partnering agent with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina," said Ken Derksen, coordinator of the volunteer program. "Since opening her food bank in the spring of 2015, this 11-year-old home school student and community volunteer has given away over 46,000 meals and over 90,000 pounds of food to needy residents of Wayne County."
Miss Hinson is director and owner of Make a Difference Food Pantry, a registered non-profit that operates out of a storefront near the Grantham schools.
"She pays her own rent and light bill," said her mother, Paige Hinson. "Last month, she served 987 people for the food bank.
"She's trying to get Backpack Buddies in every school and an emergency food pantry at the schools, too."
Miss Hinson has already launched similar efforts at Rosewood Middle, Southern Wayne High and Brogden Primary schools.
She has enlisted her own volunteers to assist with the food distribution, support from area businesses and organizations and is gaining widespread recognition. Earlier this week, she was notified that she is recipient of a Tyson Foods Giving Grant and company officials are planning a visit to see her food pantry.
Jane Sasser, media coordinator at Brogden Middle, nominated Miss Hinson for the district honor, praised the young entrepreneur for going above and beyond.
"It's not just food. They're getting a little snack and a prize," she said. "She's really a sweet thing. The kids look forward to it. It's a real blessing."
The PIE program recognizes businesses and organizations that support the schools. At last count, there are approximately 175 supporting the 33 schools, Derksen said.
Awards are given in three categories, small (for those with 1 to 15 employees or members), medium (15-50) and large (more than 50).
The town of Fremont received the award in the small category, for supporting Fremont STARS Elementary School for 12 years. Employees have partnered with area churches to collect and deliver food to 15 families at the school every two weeks and coordinated safety efforts with the police department to monitor traffic in the mornings and afternoons.
A group from The Bridge Church received the medium category award, for supporting a mentoring program at Wayne Early/Middle College High School over the past eight years.
The large category award went to Daniels United Methodist Church, which has lead a "Backpack Buddy" program and provided nutritional support for students and families at Meadow Lane Elementary School. Volunteers also assisted with the school's reading program and provided food, clothing and other items for students identified as homeless.
The 2015-2016 volunteers of the year at individual schools included:
Lalani Lynn Edwards, Brogden Primary; Ashley Long, Carver Elementary; Wyatt Hamilton, Carver Heights Elementary; Thomas Vail, Charles B. Aycock High; Shawn Atkinson, Dillard Middle; Kate Snodgress, Eastern Wayne Elementary; Christie Wiggins, Eastern Wayne High; John Fricks, Eastern Wayne Middle; Mary Collins, Edgewood Community Developmental; Whitney Gentry, Fremont STARS Elementary; Earl Nixon, Goldsboro High; Jo Anne Guthrie, Grantham Elementary; Corinne Gregory, Grantham Middle; Christine Harter, Greenwood Middle; Jared Barwick, Meadow Lane Elementary; Dwayne McKay, Mount Olive Middle; Caliana Gurganus, North Drive Elementary; Traci Christian, Northeast Elementary; Kelli Veronee, Northwest Elementary; Shelley Radford, Norwayne Middle; Holt Teague, Rosewood Elementary; Chris Pierce, Rosewood High; Max White, Rosewood Middle; Airman John Lightfoot Jr., School Street Elementary; Lynn Williams, Southern Wayne High; Dr. Wanda Dawson, Spring Creek Elementary; Kristi O'Hara, Spring Creek High; Diane Rouse, Spring Creek Middle; Olivia Giddens, Tommy's Road Elementary; Debbie Gross, Wayne Early/Middle College High; Joseph Hall, Wayne Middle High School Academy; and Shannon Foy, Wayne School of Engineering.