EVERYDAY HERO Maggie Hawkins

When an opportunity to give back and help presents itself, Maggie Hawkins never hesitates to step up to the plate. The middle school teaching assistant is a familiar face to those at the Fellowship Cup.

Hawkins and her daughter, Ella, have volunteered at the nonprofit for several years and most recently helped clean and reorganize the nonprofit's food pantry at the start of the quarantine period.

Hawkins has worked at the Quarter Maybe More Store and volunteered to help pack boxes with the food pantry.

The volunteer became more heavily involved with the organization after taking the Building Bridges classes, a program designed to help individuals address and reduce poverty in their communities.

'My husband and I, we're in a good place now, but we've been at the bottom of the barrel before. I wanted to learn what makes a person either educate themselves or figure out how not to be at the bottom,” she said.

'I've been there, standing in line for groceries can be humbling, and so if I have an opportunity to assist or help, I want to do that,” she said.

Through the class, Hawkins was inspired to help others through education. In her current position, Hawkins helps children with special educational needs.

'I really believe this is my calling - helping people through education,” she said.

When the district closed its doors in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, Hawkins again saw an opportunity to step up. Although she wasn't required to return to the school building, she decided to provide help to the school administration by answering phones, fielding questions from concerned parents.

'We had a lot to get through and limited staff,” she said.

Hawkins added she feels compelled to give back and help because 'it teaches an important lesson.”

'There is no better than and less than - without each other, we're not anything,” she said.