Region Difference Makers to be recognized tonight

We honor the 2024 Difference Makers at our annual banquet tonight at the Black River Coliseum. The Difference Maker of the Year will be also be announced.

Thank you to everyone who helps make our communities better every day!

This year’s 10 Difference Makers are, in alphabetical order: Dr. John Blaich, Corretta Bishop, Amber Brown, Mike Fleetwood, Gina Ginocchio, Travis and Amanda Gowen, Laura McElroy, Michael “Mikey” McKuin, Rev. Sandra Mick-Shockey and Chris Waite.

__Dr. John Blaich__

Blaich

Dr. John Blaich of Dental Arts was nominated by Brittany Kovach.

Blaich has provided more than 800 lip and tongue tie reversals through a procedure called a frenectomy. The first 750 cases were done free of charge, asking those who could make a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Those donations raised nearly $23,000.

“You are working on God’s greatest gift,” Blaich shared, adding that giving back is something he has done his whole life. “When you help someone, they in turn develop a sense of helping others.”

Blaich is also involved in other efforts to help the community, such as hosting training for the Poplar Bluff Police Department and an annual Haven House trail ride fundraiser on his property.

“I grew up here. This is my home,” he recounted. “This is just the way we were raised.”

__Corretta Bishop__

Bishop

Corretta Bishop, who volunteers her time to Altrusa, Women Aware and Sleep in Heavenly Peace, among others, was nominated by husband Joshua Bishop.

Bishop began by volunteering with Succeeding in Schools at Wheatley, but her work grew from there. She is on multiple city advisory boards.

Juggling a Parkinson’s diagnosis hasn’t limited her involvement in these efforts.

“I want people to see the Christ in me and represent what we’re supposed to do for him,” she said.

While there have been struggles, Bishop keeps moving forward.

“I’m a person who sees someone in need and asks how I can help them. And I don’t have a lot. I can just sit and listen...You don’t have to have a lot to help... Everybody has a talent, and you never know how you could help someone else,” she said.

__Amber Brown__

Brown

Amber Brown of Rise To The Mission International received multiple nominations. These were from Michelle Joslin, Jennifer Hill, Feather Beauford and Brooke Jones

Brown is the founder/CEO of Rise To The Mission.

She ministers and does many things as part of her efforts at Mt. Calvary Power House Church. She wants to help those in need, but especially those in recovery and seeking restoration through Jesus Christ.

“I am in recovery from years of addiction, and God completely changed my life. I grew up with abuse in my family, drug addiction. I was able to find the light, my whole family did,” Brown shared. “All you have to do is believe that you can make a difference. As a community, we are a team.”

Brown has a son, Aiden, 17, and daughter, Kyleigh, 13. She says her children teach her and keep her humble every day, always offering another perspective.

__Mike Fleetwood__

Fleetwood

Mike Fleetwood of Ripley County Productive Living Board was nominated by Jessica Smith, Alysha Lehenbauer and Jessica Wilkerson.

The RCPL, of which Fleetwood is chairman, is a funding agent for both the Current River Sheltered Workshop and the newly-opened Productive Living Center.

Locally, the Doniphan resident is best known for his work in serving the needs of the developmentally disabled.

“He has opened a whole new world for many of these citizens both young and old,” said Smith. “Although he has met many challenges and frustrations, he has been diligent in his goal to offer them social, community access, and learning skills for everyday living.”

We want to be a resource for as many of the developmentally disabled people as possible, said Fleetwood.

After only four months of the PLC’s operation, Fleetwood said, “We are already seeing results. I have letters from families who tell us what the PLC has meant to them and their children.”

__Gina Ginocchio__

Ginocchio

Gina Ginocchio of Borrowed Time Real Estate was nominated by Jaci Wuebbeling.

Ginocchio donates both time and an annual percentage from her business to help many organizations in the area.

These include, but are not limited to, Boys and Girls Club of the Heartland, Bread Shed, Bright Futures, Christway Ministries, FosterAdopt Connect, Homeless Veterans Care at John J Pershing VA and Kiwanis Club.

“Gina is sacrificially giving of her time, energy and finances to numerous charitable groups throughout the area,” said Wuebbeling, her mother.

Ginocchio said that past struggles, including as a single mom in need of city housing, inspire her, as well as her faith.

“There’s change in all of us, it just has to be triggered,” she said. “I sought out forgiveness and was just praying... and then I was delivered from all the things that were traumatic in my lifestyle... I began to hear from God and know which direction to go.”

__Travis and Amanda Gowen__

Travis and Amanda Gowen

Travis and Amanda Gowen of Poplar Bluff Christian Soccer Camp were nominated by Joey and Michelle Hessling.

The program was founded 11 years ago. It now serves 175-200 children each summer, with support from the community and Fellowship General Baptist Church. The couple would like to expand to other sports in the future.

“I was incredibly humbled by being nominated as a Difference Maker,” said Amanda Gowen. “We definitely don’t do the camp for recognition. We just do it to serve, and I think that’s at the core of our values. I almost want to take the focus off of us because this camp is really so much more about having a relationship with Christ and serving our community.”

Travis said they are able to offer scholarships with help from the community and take care of costs for kids who wouldn’t otherwise be able to participate.

__Laura McElroy__

McElroy

Laura McElroy of Three Rivers College was nominated by Maria E. Rodriguez-Alcala.

McElroy is currently the director of nursing at Three Rivers College, and it’s her relentless mentorship that has benefited others, according to Rodriguez-Alcala.

Rodriguez-Alcala has worked with McElroy on a pilot program focused on nursing career pathways in Southeast Missouri.

“This program is intended to be used as a model for other rural communities that are struggling to get nurses for their area, as well as it helps increase income in the region,” she said. “Laura has been the key person to make this program possible in Poplar Bluff.”

Volunteering is something that she does as things arise, said McElroy.

“I do put a lot of time into it outside of work,” she said. “But it is really about taking care of the caregiver and making sure they have everything they need to care for our community. I do everything I can to support them.”

__Michael “Mikey” McKuin__

McKuin

Michael “Mikey” McKuin of Fisk has provided Christmas presents to children in need, a warming center and more, according to nominators Tara Robertson and April Berry.

“He has done so much that the community is unaware of to make it a better place,” said Berry. “All of which he has chosen to do without any recognition because he believes you should just help when you can.”

He has helped the Shriners and Elks, as well as the Boys & Girls Club of the Heartland, and started the Mikey McKuin and Friends toy giveaway in December 2022.

In 2021, he opened a no-questions-asked shelter, even providing rides to and from the shelter.

McKuin’s motivation to help is very simple.

“I’ve just been really fortunate in everything,” McKuin said. “I just feel like you should help other people whenever you’re doing well — and I just like helping people.”

__Rev. Sandra Mick-Shockey__

Mick-Shockey

Rev. Sandra Mick-Shockey, founder of Recycling Grace Ministries, was nominated by Dr. Candee Elisabeth Baker.

The program helps women seeking recovery from drug and alcohol abuse.

“Previously, no residential assistance like this for women in our area existed, but Rev. Mick-Shockey’s dedication over the decades has led to the establishment of not one, not two, but ultimately three centers for women’s residential recovery,” Baker said.

Recycling Grace recently broke ground on a future maternity home.

“When I invited God into my life, and he changed my life, I wanted everybody to have and know what I felt,” said Mick-Shockey, who dealt with drug and alcohol addiction herself. “That’s really how I got started, seeing people and what their needs were, there were a lot of needs...

“God delivered me from all that. When I got saved, I never looked back... other than to help other people forward.”

__Chris Waite__

Waite

Chris Waite has been involved with many efforts, including Women Aware, Missouri Association for Family and Community Education, Butler County Fair Board, and the Xi Kappa sorority. She was nominated by Anita Maize.

“Chris has spent her entire adult life bettering herself and our community,” Maize said.

Waite said the reason for all of her volunteer work is simple: she loves her community.

“I have seen so much good and so much love in this community,” she explained. “I have seen people in need who don’t have to say anything and their neighbor helps them out. There’s a lot of good here.

“It can be tempting for some people to just focus on the negative, but I try to look at the positive. I love this community and I’m truly thankful every day because I feel so blessed.”

Waite has two children with husband Steve.