Branson school team focused on helping ‘when life gets hard’

Tucked in the back of Branson Cedar Ridge Primary School is a small office of what could be described as superheroes. These superheroes, otherwise known as the social work team, work quietly behind the scenes to help meet the needs of students throughout the district.

Each school year, the team of three school employees help hundreds of students and their families with everything from clothing and shoes to more critical needs such as eyeglasses, car repairs to even rent and utilities. They meet these needs with the help of community partners including Silver Dollar City Foundation, which provided more than $31,000 to the district this past school year through the foundation’s Care For Kids program.

“We have had parents say they didn’t think anyone cared and just by helping them with something like a utility bill or a car repair, they know people care,” said social worker Sherri Paydon. “A lot of the families we help don’t have other family that they can turn to when life happens.”

“It’s almost like we can be that fairy godmother for them and help them when life gets hard,” added Tennille Michel, a secretary in the social work office.

Now and then, hardworking families find themselves in difficult situations.

“Many of the families we help, they are working families often with mom or dad working multiple jobs,” Paydon explained.

The Branson community is very supportive of students and throughout the year Paydon and her team receive donations of coats, shoes, clothing, food and other items. These donations mean that the money the district receives through Silver Dollar City Foundation’s Care For Kids program can be used to fill in the gaps or meet other critical needs.

Michel shared that they often have clothing and shoes in stock from donations, but from time to time they can’t meet a specific need. For example, a high school student recently landed a job and needed specific clothing for work. That’s where the social work team stepped in and within hours, thanks to Care For Kids funds, they were able to purchase the student the clothes and shoes she needed so she could start work the following day. Other times, Paydon might be purchasing a new tire for a mom who had a blow-out on her car and needs to get to work. Other times, Paydon might be paying a utility bill when a parent has been sick and is missing work.

“It really isn’t that hard to see how things like this can happen so quickly,” Paydon said.

“Many families are just one crisis away from not being able to make ends meet,” added social worker Chelsea Rainey.  

Silver Dollar City Foundation’s Care For Kids program began back in 2006 and since that time, more than $2.4 million has been distributed to schools serving Stone and Taney counties.

“We know that students cannot thrive when their basic needs are not met or they are living in crisis,” said Silver Dollar City Foundation Executive Director Mindy Honey. “If we can help with something as simple as glasses so a child can read or help a mom with a tire for her car, it’s a small investment that has a huge impact.”

Silver Dollar City Foundation is a 501c(3) private foundation dedicated to helping children and families in Stone and Taney counties. During the 2024-2025 school year, the foundation provided $155,000 to 14 area school districts through Care For Kids. To learn more about Silver Dollar City Foundation, visit SilverDollarCityFoundation.com.