INVEST
Service
Just a call away BY TINA V. BRYSON
I
n a sea of orange Hunger Walk shirts, Carrie Ballinger stood out. She wore the red and blue colors of Rockcastle County Schools (RCS), face mask with logo included. Ballinger was the embodiment of what she seeks to instill in her students through academics, community service, and advocacy. Be who you are with excellence and stand out. “We partner with ChristianAppalachian Project (CAP) because we have the same mission,” said Ballinger, who started as an elementary school teacher and became superintendent in July 2020. “CAP works to make sure the community is well fed and that supports are in place to help people thrive. We do the same for our students each day.” Students from the school district have increased their participation in CAP’s annual Hunger Walk each September since its inception nine years ago. Staff and administrators at each school support student efforts to collect thousands of pounds of food each year during Hunger Awareness Month, and hundreds of elementary through high school students walk in the event in downtown Mount Vernon, Kentucky. “When the pandemic first started, it was a very uncertain time,” Ballinger noted. “We partnered with CAP by providing resources like refrigerated items that we couldn’t use because schools were closed. CAP, in turn, helped us meet the needs of our families.”
16 The Mountain SPIRIT
