Countdown to Difference Maker of the Year has started

The Daily American Republic recognized 20 Difference Makers — 10 each from 2020 and 2021 — Thursday at the Black River Coliseum for the impact they make on the community.

This year’s finalists include: Brenda Allen with Habitat for Humanity; Alex Tinker, Dave Elledge, Laurie Coleman and Lisa Collins with Buddy Ball; Tom Burns, a volunteer recently retired from the Butler County Sheriff’s Department; Misty Dodson with the Poplar Bluff R-I School District; Michelle Hessling for her work on behalf of the homeless; Jason Matlock and RT McCain for their work with youth; Linda Nelson, a volunteer at O’Neal Elementary; the SEMO Honor Guard for its efforts to honor veterans; Jimi Waggoner with Crossroads Ministries; and Jim Ward with the Bread Shed.

The Difference Makers were nominated by family, friends, co-workers and others impacted by their work for personifying the qualities for charity, goodwill and generosity. The 2020 Difference Makers are being honored this year in person at the Coliseum after being recognized last year in a virtual ceremony on the DAR Facebook page for their work.

Brenda Allen

Allen has been a member of the Habitat for Humanity board of directors for the last 10 years and has been the president of the board for the last four years. Allen works with Carrie Booker, a school district social worker, to select Habitat recipients.

Allen also helped expand the mentoring program with the Poplar Bluff R-I School District and has been a mentor herself. In addition, Allen’s children are now mentors.

Brenda and her husband, Tom, have served as foster parents, and their son and daughter-in-law are foster parents.

“In a small town, paying it forward is so valuable. It may last for generations,” Allen said.

Buddy Ball board

The Buddy Ball board includes Alex Tinker, Dave Elledge, Laurie Coleman and Lisa Collins.

Buddy Ball provides sports services at no cost to people with mental and physical developmental disabilities, creating a support network for individuals, families and the community. The program is in its sixth season.

As Buddy Ball’s motto goes, “The game’s the same … just different.”

“We feel it’s really important to be involved in the community because our group is able to serve a group in our community that we hadn’t been able to serve before,” Tinker said.

Tom Burns

Burns helped people for 25 years as a road deputy for the Butler County Sheriff’s Department before announcing his retirement earlier this summer. He worked every weekend since 1997, and he did it as a volunteer.

In addition to working as a road deputy, Burns also has worked as an instructor for the Missouri Sheriff’s Association to pass along knowledge and experience to younger officers.

Burns has filled in for officers who had to be away for various reasons, saying the department has been short-handed at times and he saw another opportunity to help out.

“To me, if we can help somebody, help somebody,” Burns said.

Misty Dodson

Dodson has dedicated her professional career to helping vulnerable populations, especially school-aged populations. She is the attendance officer and social work supervisor for the Poplar Bluff R-I School District and has been in social work with the district since 2006.

Dodson also has volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), where she advocated for the best interests of children, especially those abused or neglected.

Dodson estimates she’s worked with about 3,000-4,000 children directly through all of her efforts, plus some who were “on the fringes.”

“It takes patience ... it also takes showing them there are good things in life and helping them find the positive things in their lives,” Dodson said.

Michelle Hessling

Hessling was nominated by friend, Chris Taylor, who saw a heart of gold in someone who started an effort to make sure homeless residents were taken care of.

Hessling’s work started in 2020, but grew quickly.

“Our community’s homeless require our help,” asserts Hessling. “It doesn’t matter if they can return the favor or not. As a Christian, I don’t need, and shouldn’t need, any other reason. The two greatest commandments from the Bible instruct us to love God and love our fellow man.”

Jason Matlock and RT McCain

Matlock and McCain want to remove as many obstacles as they can that may be standing in the way of youth achieving their dreams. They began working together five years ago to help local youth and hold events, such as back-to-school bashes, fall festival events and block parties to help young people build confidence.

Matlock, who is a barber in Poplar Bluff, started helping youth more than a decade ago with a back-to-school haircut program, and things went from there. Meanwhile, McCain got involved in helping young people for personal reasons — he wished to be closer to his nephews and quit a job in the corporate sector to start working for the schools, get involved in coaching and give back in other ways.

McCain said he had a lot of support when he was growing up and that many at-risk students do not have that support.

“When you see somebody that’s less fortunate (and) their parents work hard, if you have a heart, you want to reach out and help in any type of way,” Matlock said.

Linda Nelson

Nelson spent three years serving as a volunteer at O’Neal Elementary before being forced to stay home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She hopes to return to volunteering as soon as the pandemic situation allows her to do so.

Described as a positive role model for students, Nelson has read with students and also hand-knitted slippers for every student in class. Nelson also has a special place in her heart for children who need “extra care,” such as those with difficulties at home or in foster care.

“I think every kid needs somebody to make them feel special. Sometimes they’re not getting enough of that at home,” Nelson said.

SEMO Honor Guard

As many members of VFW or American Legion chapters age and have fewer able bodies needed to serve as honor guards, the SEMO Honor Guard was formed. About half a dozen or so members today reside in Poplar Bluff. Other members reside in Caruthersville, Lilbourn and Jackson

The SEMO Honor Guard serves at approximately 70-80 veteran funerals each year. At the Missouri Veterans Cemetery near Bloomfield, on average two to three funerals are held per day. The SEMO Veterans Honor Guard is a regular participant in services there.

“We love veterans. We are veterans and we take care of our own,” said Honor Guard member Norman Morgan of Poplar Bluff.

Other members include Bill Griffin, Fred Landwersiek, Doug Wojcik and Larry Thompson.

Jimi Waggoner

Waggoner and his wife, LaDonna, overcame addiction and now operate Crossroads Ministries, a faith-based recovery program in Poplar Bluff.

Crossroads Ministries is a six-month program for men with addiction. They study the Bible together and work in the community, doing everything from roofing to volunteering at the Northside Nutrition Center, the Bread Shed and Buff Up the Bluff. The men also go to different faith-based groups every night.

Waggoner is the program director and LaDonna is the assistant director. She takes care of court dates, probation, parole appointments and pays fines for the men in the ministry.

“I felt like I was supposed to help other people find the way out,” said Waggoner.

Jim Ward

Ward is the executive director of the Bread Shed, which has served Poplar Bluff for 11 years. The group has expanded to Sunday breakfast in partnership with churches around the community, Saturday food and clothing drives, diaper distribution, plus much more.

The Bread Shed extends outside of Poplar Bluff with food distribution days in Ripley and Carter counties. Its efforts have gone beyond helping students with the addition of senior boxes and a recently added mobile shower.

“We are in a community of people and volunteers that genuinely want to serve and to help,” said Ward.