By Jean Peglow
One unsung hero quietly entered the pandemic scene in August 2019 and answered the call to help local students. Our Vail community included families without the ability to provide internet and supervision for their children during remote instructional times. Vail Christian Church had space and internet to offer and were thrilled when Karen McNinch volunteered to direct the program and supervise students on a daily basis with the assistance of other Vail volunteers. She communicated with parents and provided a safe and nurturing space for students to engage in learning with their classroom teachers.
One parent Nadia shared, “I am very grateful to this program because I do not have internet in my house. This program helped me a lot – that my daughter could continue her classes on-line … also for her mental health because she could not go to school with the pandemic.” Cynthia (parent of a Vail student) added, “I am grateful for {Karen}volunteering her time. Vail Cares made a positive difference in having a place for my daughter to go -a change of atmosphere is what she needed.”
Our community thrives because of the giving spirit of individuals like Mrs. McNinch. Her dedication to volunteer daily to ensure that families’ needs were taken care of along with the commitment of Vail Christian Church has made a difference!
