With a love of God and all his people, McCabe is inspired to serve

Serra McCabe is a difference maker in Doniphan and Ripley County, but she’s also the first to say she’s not the one who should be recognized.

“This has nothing to do with me,” McCabe said. “It’s the Lord.”

A woman of strong faith, McCabe is a 32-year-old stay-at-home mother of a one-and-a-half year old daughter, Charity. She and her husband are co-owners of Greener Pastures Angus in Ripley County.

McCabe is involved in many different community outreach programs in her lifelong hometown. She was nominated for the Difference Maker recognition by fellow resident Milley Beston, a Doniphan resident since 1978.

“I’ve never seen anyone like her in all these years,” Beston said.

Beston listed several community outreach activities, which McCabe helps to coordinate, such as a trash pick-up to beautify the city, food boxes for the hungry, collecting coats and boots during the winter and creating a local diaper bank for infants, toddlers and adults.

“She goes beyond the call of duty,” Beston said.

McCabe began the local trash pick-up and coined the name “Unity for our Community” Doniphan City Clean-up. It started in 2018 and is planned for each May, although the 2020 event was cancelled due to COVID.

McCabe said when she saw so many negative comments on social media with people griping about the appearance of the city, she thought, “Let’s do something to fix the problem. Let’s stop talking trash and go pick it up.”

She also heads the Ripley County Outreach Ministry, which provides a monthly food distribution with no qualifiers — it helps the hungry, senior citizens, foster parents — anyone with any kind of food need in the community.

Her organization raises funds and then purchases the food from SEMO Area Food Bank in Sikeston. Most recently, the ministry received hundreds of boxes of fresh produce from the USDA, which saw them give away 400 boxes in just three hours.

“Local law enforcement officers helped us get produce to those who didn’t have transportation,” McCabe said. She consistently credits the efforts of community volunteers in helping her to help others.

“It’s always an all-community effort, not a one-woman show,” McCabe said. “There are always lots of people willing to help.”

The Diaper Bank idea came from a friend, as well as her becoming a mother and realizing that diapers and wipes are expensive.

McCabe contacted the Diaper Bank of the Ozarks in Springfield and through this relationship, she was able to get thousands of diapers for Ripley County families.

The Diaper Bank’s goal is to have a monthly distribution, but it only has been able to do two distributions so far this year due to COVID restrictions.

The Diaper Bank also provides adult diapers for those who need them, an item which is often both expensive and a huge need for people.

“Everyone is so thankful,” McCabe said.

In addition to these efforts, McCabe coordinates the third annual “Every Kid Counts” Back-to-School clothing drive.

McCabe said in the past two years, they’ve seen about 350 students each year.

“She sees the needs of our community,” Beston said.

How does she do it?

She has clear priorities: “My relationship with God and my husband comes first, and my daughter is my ministry,” McCabe said. “I delegate to others who want to help.”

This attitude of service has made an impression on Beston.

“What impresses me most is that she doesn’t take credit,” Beston said. “She says God calls us to help others, which touches my heart.”

“God is the drive behind it,” McCabe said. “I give him the glory — he’s everything in my life. I love the Lord, and I love his people.”