Merriweather and King Street School Fund, Inc. (MKSSF) starts its second year of rebuilding the organization led by their 2024 volunteer officers Kim Goodloe — Vice President; Renee Smith — secretary/treasurer; and board members Danny Fisher, Phillip Smith, Raina Casillas and Richard Smith.
MKSSF is on the growing edge of its need for volunteers to serve as event coordinators and perform a variety of other event and program tasks. The group held their Volunteer’s Appreciation Brunch at Pucketts Family Restaurant in Eminence last week.
Among the volunteers recognized during the program were Sandra Smith, Sara Cooper, Connie Nation, Debbie Fisher, Doris Clay, Bobbi Frazier, Valerie Thomas and Margaret Daniel in addition to Myra Moore, Shaven Hinton, Kiara McGill and George Armstrong.
MKSSF Secretary Renee Smith said the group volunteers were being recognized in the spirit of “National Volunteer Week.”
“We want you to know that we see you,” she addressed the group. “We appreciate you, and we couldn’t do it without you. We thank you.”
MKSSF board member Phillip Smith recognized one volunteer in particular for her dedication to help revive MKSSF after years of inactivity.
“Our organization could not have become more active and reestablished without her,” he said of Margaret Daniel.
Daniel credited the efforts of Ron Wright with laying the foundation for MKSSF for her and others to build upon the original mission that seeks to preserve the history and culture of the historic Rosenwald Rural Schools, like the historic Merriweather School in Eminence.
Featured speaker Dwayne Roberts, a longtime educator and Eminence resident, extolled the virtues of volunteers for non-profit organizations, who he said were vital to the success of the organization they immerse themselves within.
“As a volunteer, you find yourself coming out of pocket — not just with your time — but with your funds,” he said.
Roberts outlined the POWER of volunteerism: Presence, Openness, Willingness, Empowerment and Reliability.
In a MKSSF statement, the group credited their volunteers for helping to raise the capacity to serve and model performance throughout the community.
“The nature of serving and the level of dedication to volunteer on a variety of tasks, raises the stature of the organization, its standing in the community and contributes to the significant advancement of specific educational and other outreach programs,” read the statement.
MKSSF seeks to add an additional volunteer board member and fill the organizational presidency by the beginning of 2025. In the group statement about filling leadership vacancies, the qualities of those leaders were outlined:
“MKSSF board members have the primary obligation to meet and produce an organization that exceeds expectations: Promoting the mission and programs to various audiences, builds the organization, makes a practical distinction, delivers new concepts and strategies, and garners dependable sources and individuals to build a viable organization within the community.”
The statement continues to state that MKSSF board members also have the authority to exercise all powers necessary for the operation of the organization. The MKSSF board is an instrument in the name of or on behalf of the organization in all areas of operation (i.e. programs, events, fundraising, outreach, presentations, agreements, donated property, meetings and more).
Among ongoing programs offered by MKSSF, recipients of scholarship funds that potentially award up to fifteen scholarships of at least $1,000 per year will be selected in May. The group also is tentatively planning a Juneteenth Celebration. For more information about MKSSF, email merriking@aol.com.