Soup, It Does ‘the Soul’ Good

By Heather Peck Stahl

(UMCom) – For more than 30 years, United Methodist churches have supported Red Bird Mission by donating Campbell’s Soup labels. Through the Campbell’s Soup Company’s Labels for Education program, Red Bird Mission is able to exchange soup labels for much needed equipment and supplies that help support mission and ministry.

Campbell's Soup label
The 14,000 Campbell's Soup labels collected in 1974, the program’s first year, is a far cry from last year’s 1.25 million labels.
Since 1921, Red Bird Mission has helped to meet the spiritual, educational and health needs of those living in Southeast Kentucky. The ministry exists due in large part to the support of churches of various denominations, but it’s programs like Campbell’s that help fill the gaps.

The 14,000 labels collected in 1974, the program’s first year, is a far cry from last year’s 1.25 million labels. Over the years, the mission has earned seven minivans, 15 passenger vans, and various school supplies.

According to Brian Barker, director of mission giving for Red Bird Mission, more than half of the adults in the mission do not have a high school education and 50 percent of the labor force is unemployed.

“The fact that people from at least 35 states, mostly United Methodists, are mailing us their Campbell’s labels illustrates the power of the connectional church,” says Barker. “A bunch of people joined together to do a simple thing to make a huge difference in our community.

“The labels allow us to buy items we would otherwise not be able to afford; and frees us to use financial donations for community outreach, such as food, clothing and shelter,” says Barker.

While one van costs between one million and 1.5 million Campbell’s Soup labels, the vans earned are used for school-related trips for the church-sponsored Red Bird Mission School. Then, the vans are used to provide transportation for those who can’t drive or have no vehicle, for volunteers to deliver meals to senior citizens and for medical caregivers. In addition, the vans transport crafts made by Red Bird residents to raise money for the mission or to transport supplies for volunteers to use when repairing homes or serving Red Bird residents in various capacities.

Red Bird Mission Vans
Tracy Nolan, director of community outreach for Red Bird since 1999, explained, “Most people don’t realize how critical these vans are to us. Without the vans, we would have no means to conduct most of our ministries."
Tracy Nolan, director of community outreach for Red Bird since 1999, explained, “Most people don’t realize how critical these vans are to us. Without the vans, we would have no means to conduct most of our ministries. In just home delivery of meals alone, we must drive 160 miles each day; and that’s only a fraction of what we use them for.”

“Each time someone sends in a label,” she says, “he or she is helping provide transportation for a meal to a family, a homeless person to receive shelter, a sick person to see a doctor or pick up medications, an adult to get to GED classes, or a shut-in to find friendships at a senior center.

Nolan recalls how one of the vans was recently once used for more than transportation. While delivering groceries to a local couple a volunteer learned that the couple’s trailer had no water, electricity or bathrooms. “If it weren’t for our transportation ministry, we wouldn’t have known this couple needed help because they never once mentioned it to us. We were able to help them get a septic tank, electricity and a new trailer.”

In addition to the vans, Campbell’s Soup labels have helped the Red Bird Mission School receive much-needed supplies for which the school could not afford to pay, such as an aquarium, library books, balls, videos and cassettes.

Tara Saylor, who has been teaching high school business education classes for six years at the school, recently received a TV-VCR for her classroom.

Red Bird Mission School
In addition to the vans, Campbell’s Soup labels have helped the Red Bird Mission School receive much-needed supplies for which the school could not afford to pay, such as an aquarium, library books, balls, videos and cassettes.
Saylor says the TV-VCR allows her students to watch subject-related videos and learn how to make PowerPoint presentations. “My kids are so excited,” she says, “The TV-VCR has opened up all new possibilities in learning, and I’m so happy to see the students’ minds open. I’m so grateful for the Campbell’s Soup labels to have given us this wonderful gift.”

While the 250 students who go to Red Bird Mission School pay on a sliding scale ranging from $8 a month to $51 a month, the school has an operating budget of $1.5 million a year. Red Bird relies heavily on financial donations for day-to-day upkeep of the school.

Everyday, one to ten volunteers sort, count and prepare the labels for redemption at the Red Bird Clinic. Once a year in the spring the labels are boxed in groups of 70,000 and placed on wrapped pallets. Red Bird Mission then pays between $300 and $500 to freight the labels to the redemption center.

In addition, Red Bird Mission collects General Mills box tops and Tyson Foods’ Project A+ labels. If you would like to support this ministry, please mail all certificates and labels to: Red Bird Mission, Attn.:  Fran Woodworth, HC 69 Box 700, Beverly, Kentucky 40913. Learn more about Red Bird Mission’s label program.

Donations to the Red Bird Mission School can be made through the Advance #773728-4. Learn how you can give to the Advance. Other donations to the Red Bird Mission can be made to the address listed above.

For more information, contact Barker at (606) 598-3155 or by email at gifts@rbmission.org .

Heather Peck Stahl is a freelance journalist and editor from Nashville, Tenn.

This article was developed by United Methodist Communications.

 


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