Weaver steps up to fill many needs

Like a lot of parents, Sabrina Weaver is there to support her kids at their sporting events. But, as her Difference Maker nominator pointed out, she’s also the go-to mom for everyone.

“Sabrina is always the first person to step up and organize fundraisers for our sports teams and other local groups she is involved with,” wrote Tony Womack in nominating Weaver.

Along with helping with her daughter’s travel soccer team, Weaver is president of the Poplar Bluff Junior High Mules Soccer teams, volunteers her time as a member of the Butler County Fair Board and provides donations to community programs such as Haven House and FosterAdopt Connect. She’s also known to create elaborate birthday cakes at little or no cost.

The 39-year-old from Melbourne, Arkansas, said, “there’s a lot more I can do in the community” and there are others that do a lot for Poplar Bluff.

“I know a few that I can think of off the top of my head that would definitely be a Difference Maker in our community as well.”

Weaver said growing up she always saw her mother be the first to volunteer for something in the community. She said it’s also something she wants to instill in her daughter, Lindsay, 13, and 15-year-old nephew Alex.

“It just kind of makes you feel good to say, ‘yeah, I can help out, no problem,’” Weaver said. “(Poplar Bluff is) becoming a big town but we’re still a small community and there’s so much help that can be done here.

“There’s so much that’s needed.”

Helping with one of three soccer teams Lindsay is a member of got Weaver started with fundraising to help pay for equipment, travel and other expenses.

“That stuff’s not cheap and it’s definitely not free,” she said.

She once asked a family friend that works at Haven House if the kids there needed anything and has been filling those needs since.

“I felt compelled and I just bought a whole bunch of stuff for the kids,” Weaver said.

While fundraising for the PB Evolution traveling soccer team, Weaver also has the players do donation drives for FosterAdopt Connect. It’s an idea she wants to also incorporate with the junior high Mules soccer teams.

“We’re always asking for (others) to help us, so I think that would be neat for our girls to step out into the community and help someone else,” Weaver said.

“I just think it’s a really big deal for the kids to be able to kind of see it from that point of view and perspective, not just always asking ‘will you donate money to our team for us to go somewhere’ but actually them give back to the community and saying we give as well as receive,” Weaver added.

Weaver also volunteers her time for First United Methodist Church.

“We try to lend a helping hand any time we can, whenever it comes to anything like that or with the youth program,” Weaver said.

Along with her volunteering, Weaver will be studying to become a paramedic and works full time at Aaron’s Auto Sales as well as being a parent on the run.

“They’re both in everything and so it’s kind of a run, run, run situation with them,” Weaver said.

Baking and decorating cakes, she said, “it’s a hobby, it’s fun.” She enjoys the challenge of making a castle from Frozen or a three-tier beach scene into a cake.

“I’m good with doing that, it’s fun for me to do and I just like putting a smile on someone’s face,” she said.

Womack said, “she goes above and beyond to help everybody else that’s in need.”