By Chris Kosiba
Generous Hands, Inc. continues to support families of the Vicksburg community by partnering with Kids Hope USA to offer mentors to children at Tobey Elementary.
According to Paula Schriemer, M.D., an original founder and board consultant for Generous Hands, Kids Hope has been a part of Vicksburg for 30 years with volunteers building relationships at Sunset Lake Elementary through Lakeland Reformed Church, Indian Lake Elementary through Chapman Nazarene Church, and Tobey Elementary through Vicksburg United Methodist Church.
“The program at Tobey was discontinued a few years ago due to a lack of volunteer mentors, so it seemed like a good place for Generous Hands to launch a new Kids Hope presence,” said Schriemer.
Kids Hope USA is a national organization that pairs mentors from churches, and recently nonprofit organizations, with children that the home school believes would benefit from an adult relationship outside of their family and school. These mentors meet with their students one hour a week during the school year to play games, create crafts, read stories, and participate in other activities including schoolwork.
Early in 2025, Generous Hands began strategic planning for the organization to prepare for expansion of its Power Pack program, packets of weekend food for the kids, from the current 350 families to 500. It was during this process when Kids Hope was discussed as another way it can serve the needs of its families.
Strong bonds have already been created between its volunteers and the families Generous Hands serves through the weekly distribution of Power Packs, Family Fare vouchers and Vicksburg Farmers’ Market coupons. Adding Kids Hope mentoring will provide another way for Generous Hands to uphold its mission to “…benefit hungry children by strengthening physical, emotional, nutritional and educational well-being” by further connecting with the children it serves.
“Mentoring and forming supportive relationships with our students immediately came to mind, and Kids Hope USA has a program model that has proven benefits to students in terms of improved interactions with peers, improved academic skills, and improved attendance,” explained Schriemer.
Kathy Holladay, retired Tobey Elementary teacher, has been hired as the new Kids Hope USA director for Generous Hands. Holladay taught for 25 years at Tobey and brings various experiences with her to this new role.
Schriemer explained that the Generous Hands board of directors selected Holladay based on her “professional excellence, mentorship and leadership within the school.”
“Kathy has a big personality and a love for children that make her the perfect match for this position,” said Schriemer.
As a teacher, Holladay is familiar with the Kids Hope program and has had several mentees in her classes.
“I’ve had the point of view as a teacher in the classroom. I think that can benefit the mentor/mentee relationships as well as bring in the teachers a little bit more into the program,” she said.
Holladay’s primary responsibilities to launch Kids Hope for the 2025-2026 school year will be to work with Bill Dygert, new principal at Tobey Elementary, to identify students as mentees, recruit and train volunteer mentors and prayer partners, match mentors and mentees and monitor their relationships, and work cooperatively with Generous Hands to build a successful pilot year. Holladay is currently going through online training and is being guided by a Kids Hope Program Success Team member, said Schriemer.
Holladay is optimistic about the future success of the Kids Hope USA program returning to Tobey Elementary because she has witnessed the benefits it has given kids in the past.
“I saw a lot of great things come from Kids Hope when I was a teacher,” she explained. “I know some of the former mentors who still keep in contact with kids. I saw kids who were super excited when they came to school and were like, ‘It’s my Kids Hope Day! The excitement of the kids – they know they are special and they have someone there especially for them,” she said.
The Kids Hope program at Tobey will begin in October.
