A Little Community Is A Big Deal

Community is connecting.
As a military family, we have moved around a lot. However, we have been blessed to be planted in Norwalk for the past three years and have loved this connected, welcoming, and spirited community. This is the longest we have been in one place, and have enjoyed the city wide events, May Day Baskets that show up on the doorstep, Fourth of July parade, goofy jokes on Halloween, and Santa coming around on the fire engine.



Community is supporting.
I am an educational and leadership consultant for schools, churches, military and businesses, and have taught all around the country. I have thoroughly enjoyed the school system here, and believe this district truly values and supports students and teachers. As a mom of three, this is especially important to our family as well. The community supports the schools with new teacher luncheons, events for games, tailgates, and police men and women showing up to high five kids on the first day of school or pass out candy on beggars night. The school staff and administration provide that same sense of support by being present at events for students.

Community is serving.
Our daughter is on the cheer squad for the varsity boys football and basketball teams, so we have loved getting to cheer on the teams each game. My husband is currently deployed for an exercise in South Korea, and missed seeing our daughter cheer on our team at Wells Fargo this past week. However, Mrs. Brady Fuller, Director of Events at IHSSN, was able to help him get online and even sent pictures of our daughter cheering on the court. This was a kindness we are eternally grateful for, because no matter how long the duration of a deployment there are always moments we do not get back. This little act of kindness and service went a long way in providing joy for our family in this time.

Community is encouraging.
One of the most powerful moments at the game was watching the community that surrounded this team. It started with a police and fire escort out of town, with members of the community lining the streets to offer encouragement. There were members of the community who did not have a personal connection to any student on the court, but they were there to cheer them on anyway. No matter what was happening on the court, the crowd was behind our boys all the way.

Community is modeling.
The character I see exhibited in the actions of the players, and the fans is impressive. I watched our cheerleaders praying in a circle to protect the boys, and keep both teams safe from harm. I watched our boys model sportsmanship, helping the Oskaloosa players to their feet, apologizing, and owning fouls. However, one of the greatest moments of the game happened off the court. There were kids of varying ages lined up along the edge of the entrance to get a high five from the players. They were jumping and squealing in delight. I witnessed the basketball boys go out of their way to tag those little hands. One little guy exclaimed in excitement to his friend, "Bowen Born, actually gave me a high five, on my hand. IN REAL LIFE!"

Community is loving.
This community loves each other. It is evident in the collection of 250 pairs of shoes for kids in need, backpacks delivered at the beginning of the year with supplies for students who could use them, and the Norwalk Santa collection that raised the money necessary to wipe out the negative balances in the lunch accounts. This community shares in joy, shows up when people are in need, and loves the people who make it a wonderful place to call home.

We are honored to be part of the Noticeably Norwalk Community.