Rebekah Milstead, an experienced intervention specialist at Miami Trace High School, ended a dynamic presentation about the Rose Avenue Community Center to nearly 60 active and retired fellow teachers during the February meeting of the local chapter of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International with a concise phrase that touched the heart of everyone present: “We’re making a difference, just like teachers.”
With its 120 key female educator-members, Fayette County’s Alpha Delta chapter remains the largest in the Ohio State organization.
Milstead, as a co-founder of the Rose Avenue Community Center 10 years ago and currently one of its directors, knows whereof she speaks. Her talk flowed smoothly from the groceries and paper products distribution to 100 families each Monday, aided by donations from Walmart’s “Feed America” program and from the Walmart Distribution Center; to the clothing center, where an especially prized event is the school-age shopping night and an especially helpful feature at prom and homecoming seasons is “Cinderella’s Closet.”
She mentioned the center’s furniture distribution, now benefiting from a new partnership with La-Z-Boy Recliners; the after-school tutoring that is available each afternoon during the academic year; and the ever-popular Friday-night hot meals with gospel music. Milstead also announced that from 5-7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23, Rose Avenue Community Center will host a community pancake supper; the goal is to help stock a “hygiene closet,” although no one will be turned away even if they are unable to leave a donation.
