Chartwells Food Service Director Dixie Harden and her team are beacons of light for families in need at Poplar Bluff R-1. For various community outreach programs, organizational partnerships, and countless hours spent volunteering behind the scenes, Harden and her staff recently were recognized for going above and beyond in their efforts to benefit the community.
During September's Board of Education meeting, Harden received the Compass in the Community award from her leaders at the Compass Group, the parent company of Chartwells. The presenter said Harden was chosen from a pool of 90 school district applicants because her efforts stood out from the rest. Harden's staff packed the room to see her receive the award.
"Every year, you're supposed to submit things you feel your team has gone above and beyond on and I'm big about recognizing my people," Harden said. "This award is for all of us, not just me."
More compassion is something the world needs, she said, which is why Harden has a history of organizing charitable programs. Prior to returning to her hometown of Poplar Bluff in January 2016, she created a successful backpack program in DeSoto, Mo., to ensure less fortunate students had something to eat when they weren't in school.
Word spread about the program's success, and at the beginning of the 2016-17 school year, Harden teamed with Bright Futures to create a similar initiative locally called the Mule Pack program. She said through scheduled food drives around the district, 120 families receive supplemental items on a bimonthly basis.
"This was something this district really needs," she said. "So I met with Carrie Booker (who is a social worker) and we put our heads together and got this going."
Harden said the program is sustained through a combination of commodity item and monetary donations and that she's always looking for ways to make improvements. All money collected is managed by Bright Futures and designated to benefit the Mule Pack program.
"We realized we had some younger kids having a hard time carrying the packs. We also didn't want the older kids to feel embarrassed for picking up a bag, so we set aside a time for parents to come in and pick it up on their own if they want to," she said.
Along with providing twice daily meals for students at Poplar Bluff and stuffing backpacks, the Chartwells team also hosts a community Thanksgiving dinner. Last year the event was held at Poplar Bluff High School and Harden said more than 1,100 families were served.
"This is something they did before I got here, but the year before participation was low. I don't know if they even had one in 2015, but we've gotten it back up and running again," she said.
Another issue Harden said is close to her heart is a desire to help children in foster care. This led to a recent partnership between Chartwells and the 36th Judicial Circuit Juvenile office to host a benefit dinner for area foster kids. The funds raised will help foster parents provide Christmas presents.
Harden said initially she was under the impression foster parents receive additional funds during the holiday season, but learned that is not the case.
"That's what I get for assuming," she said. "(The dinner is) a good cause. Being a foster parent is a tough job, I'm sure, but I'm a positive person and I believe in helping others."
Chartwells also has teamed with the Boys and Girls Club to provide after-school meals during the week and when school is not in session. The Boys and Girls Club and the food service office are next door neighbors on the middle school's campus.
"Four of my employees actually work for the Boys and Girls Club after school is over. They're the ones who make the food and distribute it to the elementary schools," said Harden, adding around 500 additional meals are served to club members daily.
Aside from volunteer opportunities involving the school, the Chartwells team also ventures into the community and helps distribute goods with the Bread Shed on the third Thursday of the month, and also entered a team into the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life for the first time last month, raising nearly $600 in a week.
"I ended up in charge of that on short notice, and thanks to Mr.(Scott) Dill, we were able to have a few jeans days in the schools that week and with some individual donations we ended up raising between $500 and $600," she said. "Our team was called Cookin' for a Cure and we're going to start doing that event every year."
Harden said she hopes to promote a family environment among her staff because without them, none of her ideas or these efforts would be possible.
"Without them, I couldn't do it," she said. "I don't have little kids, I have grand kids, but I know what it's like to be in some situations these families are in. I think the world would be a lot better place if there were more people willing to help those less fortunate and I try to express that to my team."
The next event for the Chartwells crew is the foster care Christmas fundraising dinner, which will be held from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday at Poplar Bluff High School. Harden said they're planning to serve 300 people.
Tickets are still available for $7 each and can be purchased at the juvenile office, which is located on the second floor of 614 Lindsey. The building is located across from Huntington Pool. According to the juvenile office, all $7 will go toward the purchase of Christmas presents for Butler and Ripley county children in state custody.