Deanna Kruger: Ready, willing and a force of nature

by Jo Mayer

Nichole Borowy, Lisa Bolton and Deanna Kruger join forces to pitch in and help as needed.

“…in all difficult times our community rallies and does what it does best – help each other.”
–Deanna Kruger

Deanna Kruger is no stranger to serving her community, even in strange times like these. From helping to organize the Community Thanksgiving Dinners to instigating and coordinating the Stockbridge light pole decorating contests each October to setting up geocaching sites for trackers to find, her interests are limited only by what needs she sees in our community. When the pandemic hit Michigan, Kruger stood ready to lend a hand.

“I patiently waited to see where I would be needed,” she explained. “The first opportunity came in a message through [a Facebook site] Wake Up Stockbridge & Surrounding Communities. An anonymous donor wanted to help a family that might now needed daycare. A couple of messages later, Judy Conklin opened her daycare to families in need with reduced rates and money from the donor and myself going to Juel Daycare to help a family.”

Then came the school’s twice weekly distributions of breakfasts and lunches for kids in the district. Kruger wanted to be part of the effort and was soon in the midst of it.

“With employees from the school we soon found our groove on getting food to families. I believe we are now offering eight meals per pick-up to approximately 450 students. That is approximately 3,600 meals.” She explained that food staff and administrators pack the bags. Then the next crew comes in to help distribute. “We have a group that delivers food to families that are not able to come and pick it up while the rest of us load the food directly into cars.”

As Heritage school secretary, Kruger plays an essential role in keeping parents and students informed about happenings in the district, a charge made even more difficult during this crisis.

“While teachers and administrators are busy working on distance learning,” she explained, “I try to answer the more day-to-day questions–yearbooks, moving to another district, upcoming sixth-grade camp, donations, etc. If I don’t know an answer, I try to find out who does.”

With the school empty of young faces, Kruger said she misses “her kids.” A sigh, and she added, “I am anxious to get back to normal.”