Caring and Sharing Thrift Shop presents scholarships to 45 students
PINCKNEYVILLE - The Caring and Sharing Thrift Shop presented $73,250 in scholarships to 45 recipients or their representatives last week at the shop in Pinckneyville. Some family members stood in for scholarship recipients who are in classes or at work in the health field and were unable to attend the ceremony.
Starting in 2011 with six recipients from Pinckneyville Community High School, the scholarship system has evolved to also include students from Du Quoin and Trico High Schools. The scholarships are primarily designed for those students pursuing degrees in health-related fields, including nurses, physician assistants, dental, pharmacy and social work. Recipients expressed appreciation to the organization for its support of career dreams they are pursuing at many community colleges, colleges, and universities.
The 2019 recipients are: Caitlyn Anderson, Whitney Asbury, Emma Banach, Megan Barczewski, Elizabeth Bartnicki, Emily Bauersachs, Callie Bigham, James Burris, Ellie Carlson, Phillip Catt, Olivia Chapman, Coleman Choate, Mariah Clark, Bettina Cox, Corey Dahn, Sydnie Day, Mayci Doerflein, Tessa Eickmann, Hannah Epplin, Lindsey Feltmeyer, Kelsey Ginn, Sydney Ginn, Samantha Gross, Meg Haggard, Aireal Hagston, Jacqueline Harsy, Jessica Harsy, Matilyn Harsy, Melaina Harsy, Brittany Knapp, Abbey Knope, Kathy Kopshever, Sydney Lesinski, Brady Louis, Hallie Matecki, Megan Mayo, Heather Riley, Kyle Robinson, Amanda Shute, Brian Taylor, Lindsey Taylor, Kate Toler, Olivia Whitley, Ashley Wild, and Taylor Wildermuth.
Caring and Sharing is an all-volunteer organization of 100 members paying annual dues, with 25 ladies taking on the primary responsibilities of the shop: sorting, cleaning, tagging and displaying items, washing and ironing clothes, decorating and keeping the shop.
The volunteers represent many former careers as nurses, teachers, government workers, most as homemakers who all enjoy the benefit of working together for the common cause of giving back to the community and area, using the contributions of items to distribute $158,612.58 in the 2018-19 fiscal year to various groups and organizations, including school health services, food pantries, and area youth clubs.