21 minute read
Craft Time
POPSICLE STICK Christmas Ornaments
Written by Lyndi Mauk Photo by Jamie Alexander
Let your kid’s imagination soar as they come up with clever ways to use their popsicle sticks to make Christmas ornaments for your family’s Christmas tree, or to gift to their teachers and friends this holiday season. From Christmas trees to gifts to candy canes and more, your kids will be able to add cute, crafty ornaments to the tree this year and for years to come. This is a great way to make memories with your kids, while keeping those memories alive each year as they hang for all to see.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED: ›› Popsicle sticks (pre-colored optional) ›› Paint/Paintbrush (if you’re not using precolored sticks) ›› Pom poms ›› Fuzzy sticks ›› Glue/Tape ›› String ›› Scissors (optional) ›› Cardstock/construction paper (optional) ›› Markers (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS: ›› Place popsicle sticks in the image you are making (ex. Christmas tree) ›› Glue/tape each end together ›› Glue pom poms along the sticks, wrap the popsicle sticks with fuzzy sticks or let your kids use markers to decorate ›› Use cardstock paper to cut out a star, bow, etc.
*Bonus - add a family Christmas photo inside your ornament to look back on each year! HF
Community
From a Hobby to a Business
Written by Amanda Waggener
Friends and coworkers, George Henderson and Channing Kameda, found quite a bit of free time on their hands last year during quarantine. The pals, who were hired and started their first day at Toyota together, began hanging out at George’s house to pass time while Toyota was temporarily closed due to Covid-19. What started out as a mutual admiration for coffee soon turned into a new hobby. “We both really love coffee.” George explained. “When covid came around we started home roasting our own coffee. We enjoyed it. At first we were doing it for ourselves.” Experimenting with the “little home roaster” they roasted about 8 ounces at a time. The duo began playing around with blends. In exploring their new craft, they began researching coffee that is grown around the world. “There are different regions; Ethiopia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Zimbabwe and Brazil,” says George who further described how each area’s coffee is very specific to its region. “We want to highlight the flavor profiles of those little farms.”
FROM BOREDOM TO BUSINESS
“We always said that we should start up our own business,” Channing stated, “Then one day we said, “let’s just do it.” Next order of business was deciding on a name. George shared that their mutual love of hiking and backpacking led them to the creation of Backpackers Coffee Company. In keeping with
THE PEOPLE AND PLACES THAT MAKE HENDERSON GREAT
the nature theme, Backpackers Coffee Company gives back to a special cause. “For every bag that we sell we will donate a dollar to the National Forrest Foundation,” boasted George. Their small roaster was soon replaced with a commercial grade roaster, housed in George’s basement. “We use a Fluid Bed Roaster. The fluid bed uses convection instead of conduction in the roasting. Our roaster is using clean, hot air to roast resulting in no other outside influences in the roasting process.” Using only high-quality Arabica beans, they sold their first bag of coffee in September 2021. The coffee, which is strictly sold online, has been successful thus far with those who have tried it.
THE BACKPACK COFFEE CO. ADVANTAGE
Not only does buying from Backpack Coffee Company give back to the National Forrest Foundation, but first and foremost, they provide superior coffee. “This is fresh roasted for your order. It doesn’t get roasted until you place the order,” explained Channing. George added that the freshness is the difference between their coffee and the competition. “If you go to a store and buy coffee, you’re buying coffee that has been sitting on a shelf for a month or two,” George divulged, adding that the freshness of their coffee sets them apart with flavor. “You can tell a big difference by that. Our coffee doesn’t have a harsh bite to it that other coffees have.”
In addition to taking online orders via their website, the entrepreneurs also plan to sell special blends. Soon they will begin taking wholesale orders. “Coffee shops can reach out to us to do their roasting because many coffee shops don’t roast their own coffee. We will offer the option of creating a special blend specifically for their coffee shop.” LOOKING AHEAD
While presently satisfied with the operations of the business, George and Channing have a long-term goal of opening their own coffee shop locally. “We started off slow so we could work out some of the kinks,” acknowledged Channing. Until that time, they would like to continue growing Backpackers Coffee Company via word of mouth, their website and on social media.
Support local by placing your order for a bag of freshly roasted coffee at www. backpackerscoffee.com. Follow them on Instagram @backpackerscoffeeco and like them on Facebook at Backpackers Coffee Company.
AMANDA WAGGENER is a blogger for the Huffington Post, author of No Grit No Pearl blog site and is a native of Henderson. She and her husband are the parents of two teenagers who they are raising with as much zeal as they can muster.
THE SEASON THE SEASON OF GIVING ALL OF GIVING ALL YEAR LONG YEAR LONG
Written by Lyndi Mauk // Photos by Darrin Phegley
“We try to help people who don’t have the resources to go to a store and buy what ”they need.
-Rev. Jeff Burke, Director of Community Ministries & The Kathy J. Strange ANSWER Center.
The Answer Center was started in September of 2000 and is part of the Green Valley Baptist Association, in which they give away clothing of all sizes for men, women and children along with grooming kits (hygiene products), towels and washcloths, blankets and more. It’s purpose is “to give the answer of Jesus Christ to our community while meeting needs.”
THE DONATION AND SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
Before the pandemic, clients were able to come inside The Answer Center to shop. However, this process since changed, and the Director and volunteers are still continuing to follow the shopping protocol that was put into place in 2020. Items are now fulfilled by clients pulling up for a drive-thru experience. Volunteers will come to their vehicle and hand them an order form to mark the items they are in need of. Sometimes there may be one order form for a carload while other times there may be a few people in one car from different families. There are 2-4 teams of volunteers inside, 2 volunteers per team, who will go upstairs and fill those orders.
Everyone who comes through the line is signed in and has a file. The purpose of this is for The Answer Center to have contact information in case there is something a client was looking for and couldn’t find. If the center happens to get that particular item, they can call and let them know, or sometimes will go buy it for them.
Sometimes there are items donated that do not particularly fit with their need, and this has been a wonderful way to allow clients to get out of their vehicle to shop while their orders are being filled. Volunteers will sit tarps outside along the drivethru, and clients can look around and shop through those items while they wait for their order. These may include toys, picture frames, books, etc.
Food is another donation that isn’t an official part of their ministry, but they will sometimes have donated. If they have food on-hand, they will have it outside to give away on the Saturdays clients come to shop. The value of this is that the Henderson Christian Community Outreach isn’t open on Saturday or Sunday, so they are able to help families get through the weekend and get them to the Salvation Army for a meal, too.
The Answer Center also has $10 Sureway gift cards they will give out to help those in need of food to get through the weekend. Sometimes volunteers take it upon themselves to help. One of their volunteers put someone up in a hotel for two nights and brought him food to get through the weekend. They are blessed with 46 volunteers who so graciously give their time, and they are thankful for everything they do.
Donations may be dropped off in the back of the building. There is a dropbox that was built by Josh Mcleod in 2009 with the help from Scout Troop 400 as part of an Eagle Scout Project. Nancy Brown, a retired middle school teacher, has been a volunteer since August 2015. She works alongside Rev. Burke at The Answer Center, and they are both part of the Kentucky Baptist Mission Corps. Nancy said, “It’s a delight to meet people at the door.” Some are new faces while others they are reacquainted with. The Answer Center is all about relationships. They pray with everyone who comes through.
Although they are known for their Clothing and Household Ministry, The Answer Center also has what is known as their Kid’s Korner Ministry. This is a seasonal ministry for Easter, Back-toSchool and Christmas for children in the Henderson community. Children are given books, Bibles and gifts.
In 2019, they gave away 350 backpacks during Christmas. Last year, their number was around 200 due to the pandemic. The Christmas backpacks are given out the first two Saturdays in December, and this takes a lot of help putting these backpacks together to hand out. The backpacks will include some school supplies, clothing by age/gender, hats/gloves, shirts and pants, food, grooming items, brushes, hair accessories, and a few toys. “Sometimes they look like they are going to burst open,” Rev. Burke said with a grin on his face. “There is so much love that goes into the making of these backpacks.”
They have had help from Kentucky Kid Changers, who came across the state and put together 30 backpacks for the back-toschool ministry. These were all elementary aged kids who came and spent a Saturday, volunteering their time to help those in need right here in Henderson. They also receive help from local churches who are part of the Green Valley Baptist Association.
Two years ago, they had the opportunity to drive to Rogersville, TN to pick up over 900 Christmas backpacks that were unable to be passed out at a school district in Eastern Kentucky. They had been put together by churches in North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Rev. Burke was the first to respond when the message about the backpacks went out, so they drove down to get them and took a box truck. The Manager at Royster’s Machine Shop here in Henderson is a deacon at Henderson First Baptist Church and made and made the warehouse available for them to store the backpacks. They took everything out and organized all of the items, which allowed The Answer Center to use those items for Easter giveaways, Back-to-School and Christmas backpacks for two years, including this year as they use the remaining 60-70 backpacks. They had two big boxes of canned goods such as spaghettios, vienna sausage, fruit cups, cookies and more. This was a huge blessing to the Henderson community, and they were so grateful these backpacks were able to be used.
Another exciting event they were able to participate in was the Career Job Fair at Audubon Kids Zone. Their purpose at The Answer Center was to let people in need come and get clothing and grooming kits for their interview. Then, when they received the job, they would supply them with uniforms. They were able to supply 12 individuals with head-to-toe uniforms (black shirts and black slacks). These had been donated to them, and they bought all the shoes new. “This is just one of the fun things we do! This whole ministry is a lot of fun, and a blessing to us because we feel like we are making a difference,” said Rev. Burke.
TAC Life Change Support Ministry is another ministry. This is a satellite ministry, and it supports the Women’s Life Change Ministry at Henderson County Detention Center. This ministry helps provide Bible study supplies, food items for Christmas and work through grants, which helps with clothing.
A COMMUNITY PARTNER
The Answer Center is grateful to work alongside other community organizations. Henderson is blessed with amazing organizations to help those in need throughout the entire year, just as The Answer Center does. Together, they are making a difference in the lives of so many Hendersonians.
Some of their amazing partners include Habitat for Humanity, Father Bradley Women and Children’s Shelter, The Women’s Addiction Recovery Manor (WARM) Center and Harbor House Christian Center, along with Henderson Christian Community Outreach and the Salvation Army. These are just several they are able to work with to meet the needs of community members. For Habitat, they will hand out vouchers to help those looking for furniture. They are able to use grant money they receive to assist with this. The voucher comes in $100 segments (one piece of furniture). Initially, they helped with beds and The University of Southern Indiana was building beds and using grant money for that until they ran out. Once a voucher has been filled out, he will let Brittany Smith at Habitat for Humanity know there has been one given out and what is on it. Rev. Burke explained how he recently did one for a family who lost everything in a fire. They were able to get 4 pieces of furniture; a couch, dining set and 2 beds at $400. They have been able to help 8-9 families this year who have lost everything from a fire.
Those who have completed the WARM program may come to The Answer Center to receive a Household Kit. This will include laundry and dishwashing detergent, towels, sheets, toothbrush/toothpaste, a comforter and more.
Ellis Park Ministry is another ministry partner of The Answer Center. They help the groomsman, stable workers and their families on the backside during the racing meet. They exercise horses and have great needs as they travel from track to track, so they are happy to be able to take The Answer Center items they are in need of.
LOOKING AHEAD
In 2019, they had 5,000 individuals come through. This was when they were still fully open. Thus far in 2021, they have had 1,000 clients use their drive-thru service. They are open twice a month for individuals to come shop for their needs. Rev. Burke believes they will be full once again when their doors are open for shopping inside once more. Clients may come once a month to pick up items, while others may not come but once every 6 months. Even though they aren’t seeing the numbers of what they did, ⅓ of the number of those they have helped have come for the very first time, including some who have been homeless.
The Answer Center has been able to help 12-14 homeless individuals here in Henderson this year with mats given to them by a ministry in Crittenden County. Tim and Joyce Burden, who are missionaries, attend a church in Crittenden County where they focused on making mats for the homeless out of Walmart and Dollar General bags. When individuals open the mat up, they will find a pillow and a Bible. Each mat is made up of 700-1,000 bags. However, some choose not to accept a mat because it can be heavy. The mats keep them dry and warm. They hope to continue helping these individuals in every way they can.
Every September, the Green Valley Baptist Association takes up the Eliza Broadus Offering for State Missions. Last year, The Answer Center received $4,000 given to them through a grant from this offering. Those who donate to this mission have an impact on what they are doing right here in Henderson. They are allowed to use this money on towels, sheets, grooming kit items, which are extremely popular and consist of shampoos, hand soaps, toothbrushes/toothpaste, wash cloths, deodorant and more. They may also use on basic supplies that are needed for the ministry. This offering has made a difference in the lives of so many within our community, and they pray their center continues to receive a grant each year to continue growing this ministry and helping to meet the needs of many more.
If you or someone you know would like to make a donation, volunteer or you are someone in need of The Answer Center’s services, they are open Mondays from 3-5pm, Thursdays from 9-11 and every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month from 9-10:30am for shop days.
Nancy said, “We are in a season of Christmas all year around because we share God’s love the entire year with people who are in need and need His comfort and love!” And what better way to love on people than to do so by giving. HF
LYNDI MAUK, editor of Henderson Family Magazine, was born and raised in the Bluegrass State. She is grateful to be going through life alongside her husband and best friend, Brandon, and being a mother to their two kids.
Colonel Cookin’ Crazies
By Kaycee Garner // Photos by Darrin Phegley
The Colonel Cookin’ Crazies have been making quite a name for themselves in Henderson and in Kentucky. This dedicated cooking group, led by Charlotte Baumgartner and Ginny Johnson, has impressed the judges at many competitions with their signature dish, the pork burger with spicy slaw.
This group recently participated in the Kentucky Farm to School Junior Chef Competition where they placed first out of sixteen, allowing them to advance to nationals where they were named the winners of the National Southeast Junior Chef Competition. This year was the first time that Henderson County has won the entire event. There was a lot on the line for this competition, including a full tuition scholarship to Sullivan University for each student, all of which plan on participating in the Culinary Arts program. For the virtual nationals competition, the students filmed a video of them cooking their dish. It was judged on many different elements including the recipe requirements, their execution and teamwork, safety and sanitation, creativity, innovation, taste appeal, presentation and appearance.
The students/chefs involved include junior Tyler Brocato, senior Elijah Ledoux, HCHS graduate Drew Neal, and HCHS graduate Jasmine Satcher. I had the opportunity to interview each student during one of their practice days, and they had a lot to say about the Colonel Cookin’ Crazies. Here are their responses:
What made you join this group?
Tyler:“I was shown around by the seniors from my freshman year and I always liked cooking and thought it would be fun, so this competition was an added bonus.” Elijah: “Mrs. Ginny approached me about joining the club. During quarantine, I had started learning to cook at home. I joined the culinary course last year and she came up to me and asked if I wanted to join, and I said of course.” Drew:“I was inspired to join through culinary class. I said, ‘Hey, Mrs. Ginny, do we have a club for this?’ And she said, ‘Yes, this farm to school thing,’ and she thought I would make a good addition to the team and here we are.” Jasmine: “I love to cook, and whenever I cook I don’t feel like it’s a job and that’s what I love about it. I’ve been cooking since I was little.”
What does the competition mean to you?
Tyler:“I can learn a lot about cooking from this competition and I met a lot of new people like the chefs and judges. New relationships really help me and I like that. And education-wise, the scholarship will really help me.” Elijah: “The competition means a lot to me. I’ve been planning on going to culinary school for a while now and these scholarships are going to help move my education forward.” Drew:“The competition is interesting and it’s cool to go and compete against others. We came up with this as a team and we’re just pushing through the best we can.” Jasmine: “This competition means a lot. I get to go to my dream school and do what I love to do. It also means that I get to use local stuff to cook and it’s really important to me to help my community.”
Anything else you would like to add?
Tyler: “The junior chef state competition opened a lot of doors to me and helped me meet a lot of chefs from all around the state from Henderson, Owensboro, everywhere. And that’s helped me out at my work at Hometown Roots.” Elijah: “It’s just been great being around the team and making new friends to talk to.” Jasmine: “Do what you love to do and not what people tell you to do.”
We are so proud of the Colonel Cookin’ Crazies and to have such dedicated students and faculty that are determined to achieve their goals. HF
KAYCEE GARNER has lived in Henderson her entire life and plans to keep it that way. She loves animals and movies, and enjoys drawing with charcoal and working on local political campaigns in her spare time.
THE 2021 local local shopping shopping
GUIDE
Henderson has a variety of specialty and one-of-a-kind shops with unique gifts, apparel, home furnishings, children & baby clothes, vintage, art, and hand-crafted original items, and of course, delicious food. Check out our local shopping list on the next page to check off all of your holiday shopping needs!
There's No Place Like Local For The Holidays
The success of local businesses largely depends on community support. Thankfully Henderson is a community that does just that. Navigating the pandemic wasn’t easy for anyone, but as we near the end of 2021 Henderson seems to be thriving. A major economic development project was announced, and our downtown is booming with new storefronts. “It is vital to shop local throughout the year but especially throughout the holiday season. Henderson is fortunate to be a community full of hidden gem local businesses and they all need our support. Let’s help grow our community by shopping local and give the hardworking small business owners in our town the opportunity to thrive beyond the pandemic,” said Lindsay Locasto Executive Director of the DHP.
As the holiday season approaches, we are hoping that shopping local will ring true now more than ever. With nationwide delays in stock and shipments, shopping local is really the way to go this year! According to savemycent. com, the holiday shopping season now starts as early as mid-October. This report also indicates that U.S. retail sales totaled $789.4 billion in November and December in 2020. “We want to see those dollars stay in
our community,” said Independence Bank President Jim Davis. “For a local small business $68 of every $100 spent stays in the community. Being intentional with our spending not only helps our small businesses succeed, it also boosts Henderson’s economic vitality overall.”
Independence Bank and the Downtown Henderson Partnership will host “Shop Henderson” again this year to celebrate Small Business Saturday. The community is encouraged to participate in two fun days of shopping on Friday, November 27th or Saturday, November 28th to support our local businesses. Independence Bank and the Downtown Henderson Partnership will be providing 350 shoppers with the opportunity to kick off the weekend at Liberty Square and pick up a bag stuffed with a list of where to shop and numerous discounts and deals from participating businesses. “This is an event that the business owners, shoppers, and our employees get excited about. It’s really the perfect way to kick off the holiday season,” Davis said. “Last year we had to find creative ways to show support, but this year we are looking forward to getting back to our roots.” HF
