Throughout the school year, Mill Creek Elementary School students, families and teachers conduct fundraisers in community outreach. The Mill Creek PTA recently coordinated a coat drive to help keep children warm this winter.

“Our PTA looks for service opportunities all year long,” Mill Creek PTA President Kara Lingerfelt said. In past years, they have conducted drives for food, paper and clinic supplies. “Especially at Christmastime, the PTA wanted to show Mill Creek’s giving spirit to help others.”

Madison-based Inside-Out Ministries will receive the coats. “Inside-Out serves all of Madison County,” Lingerfelt said. “This year, Mill Creek students and families in need will be helped by anonymous teachers and parents.”

Mill Creek PTA chose Inside-Out Ministries “simply because our officers were familiar with their mission and we share their compassion,” Lingerfelt said.

Inside-Out will continue to accept coat donations at their office, just south of Madison’s downtown at 103 Gin Oaks Court. Larry and Deborah Ward founded the non-profit agency to provide financial assistance to residents who are struggling to pay for rent, utilities and food.

Inside-Out’s mailing address is P. O. Box 2004, Madison, AL 35758. For information, call 256-325-5193 or visit inside-outministries.org.

Mill Creek administrators, teachers and students annually pursue charitable efforts, especially for the Christmas season. “We always participate in the Christmas Canned Food drive for Christmas Charities Year-Round,” Principal Melanie Barkley said. “It was very successful this year.”

In addition, teachers and staff always provide gifts for families at Mill Creek who are less fortunate and need help buying presents for the children. “This year, we gave gifts to approximately 10 different families,” Barkley said.

Like other students in Madison City Schools, the Mill Creek student body realizes that children live in Madison who don’t have a coat, didn’t receive piles of Christmas gifts and didn’t have a huge Christmas meal.

“Our students do realize,” Lingerfelt said. “Everybody needs help sometime, and I believe other schools promote the same character lessons as Mill Creek: Always help each other, be kind and give graciously.”