This year, the Alcorn School District Community Connections Mentoring Program introduced a heartwarming new tradition, bringing students and mentors together for a Thanksgiving meal to celebrate unity, gratitude, and the unique blessings each person brings to their mentoring family.
Mentoring Director Christie Avant envisioned the gatherings as a way for students to experience the joy of sitting together around the table—a tradition many families cherish during the holiday season. "This meal is a reminder of what we are thankful for, the beauty in our differences, and the blessing each of us is to this family," Avant shared.
The program, which connects elementary and middle school students with high school mentors, involves 170 students across the Alcorn School District. Mentors and mentees meet weekly in each school to work on academic assignments and develop character traits through positive relationship building. For the special Thanksgiving lunch, students traveled off campus to meals hosted three locations:
Biggersville students met at First Baptist Church of Biggersville, with a prayer led by Bro. Tracy Stafford, Alcorn Central students met at Strickland Church of Christ, with Bro. Terry Smith offering the blessing, and Kossuth students met at the LC Follin Christian Life Center, where Bro. Randy Marchant led the prayer.
The delicious Thanksgiving feast was prepared by numerous entities including Alcorn Career and Technical Center Culinary Arts Instructor Olivia Smith and her students from the ACTC, with additional contributions from the dedicated women of each of the involved churches. Generous donations were also provided by Brooke and Eric Wilbanks, Teresa Wilkins, and Gardner’s Supermarket to make the meals happen.
The Thanksgiving meals, hosted on a different school day for each campus, created more than just satisfied appetites—they fostered lasting memories and deepened bonds between mentors and mentees. Students were reminded that their mentoring family is a place where they are supported, valued, and celebrated for who they are.
Cathy Hernandez, a mentor in the program at Alcorn Central, shared, "My mentee finally opened up and talked more while we were at Thanksgiving lunch. She was so happy, and I feel like I got to know her better!"
When asked about their favorite parts of the event, participants’ responses reflected the joy of the day. One mentee said, “The food was delicious, and I loved us all sitting together.” A mentor added, “Seeing the excitement on the kids' faces when they walked in and saw all the fall decorations and food, and watching the mentors and mentees connecting, was so special.”
“This gathering was about more than food,” Avant said. “It’s about community, love, and creating traditions that bring us together year after year.”
With its inaugural year a resounding success, this Thanksgiving tradition promises to remain a cherished part of the Alcorn Schools Mentoring Program for years to come.