Women of Note

Volunteering is a way of life for Cheryl Holloway

by Tina Cole-Mullins

Retired Stockbridge teacher and coach Cheryl Holloway spends much of her time giving selflessly to others.

Her help extends to organizations such as Stockbridge Community Outreach and a women’s golf league at Hankerd Hills Golf Course at Pleasant Lake. She works with programs like Tide Me Over and the Summer Tide Me Over. Holloway also befriends a student who needs a friend or an elderly neighbor who could use a helping hand.

Holloway’s volunteer work was recognized in 2018, when the Stockbridge Area Chamber of Commerce named her the Volunteer of the Year.

She was born in Jackson and grew up just outside of Gregory. After graduating from Stockbridge High School, she went on to Eastern Michigan University, where she graduated in 1978 with a degree in physical education.

Having never had children of her own, her students became her kids. For example, she started helping one young boy who was having trouble in school. He’s now in high school, and she attends most of his sports competitions. She also takes him on golf outings and simply makes sure he is staying out of trouble.

Holloway was known throughout her tenure with the district for coaching sports such as softball. One former student and player is co-worker Sherry Bush. Bush laughs as she says, “I’ve forgiven her for not putting me in when I thought I should go in!”

As a physical education teacher, Holloway was the natural choice to organize many Field Days events for students and the annual “Jump Rope for Heart” fundraising event for the American Heart Association.

“I think it was the late ’80s or early ’90s when I took over the jump-roping event from Mike Demint until retiring from it in 2017,” Holloway said. “Our sixth graders would jump rope all day raising money. We’d have games, food and a fun day for the kids [who were] participating.”

Holloway and her co-worker and friend Jean Buurma were founders of the Tide Me Over program after they recognized the food gap faced by young children in the community. These children received breakfast and lunches while school was in session, but often were hungry on weekends. Holloway and Buurma, both board members of Stockbridge Community Outreach at the time, decided Outreach should fill that void so they created the Tide Me Over program. It is funded through individual, business, church, community and foundation donations.

For more than a decade, Holloway spent uncountable hours each school week ordering the food and hauling the cases of groceries. These groceries were packaged into healthy meals and distributed to needy elementary children in the community for use on weekends. Running throughout the school year, the program serves students within the Stockbridge School District. During summer vacation, a related Summer Tide Me Over program enables families to come to Outreach to pick up a weekly bag of groceries. 

Bush is also a board member of Stockbridge Community Outreach and works on the Tide Me Over program. “I joined the TMO program last year as the program expanded to the high school and most recently have taken over Heritage School,” Bush said. “Cheryl took me under her wing to help me choose food and put together bags for these other schools.”

Bush is continually amazed at what Holloway accomplishes. “She is an inspiration and I truly don’t think people understand the time and labor it takes to complete this task.” Bush continued, “Each week she packs over 100 bags of supplies to give to the children that are in need.”

In retirement, Holloway finds more ways to help others. Another example: She regularly visits a 97-year-old neighbor now living in Chelsea.

“I will visit, run errands for her, take her to appointments,” Holloway said. No doubt her companionship is priceless.

Holloway enjoys working puzzles in her free time and looks forward to the upcoming golf season. She has assumed responsibilities in the Thursday morning women’s golf league at Hankerd Hills Golf Course at Pleasant Lake. Her role involves scheduling, figuring handicaps, and tracking awards.

“Basically I just keep them in line,” she adds with a chuckle.

For Holloway, it’s all in a busy day’s work.

Left to right: Diane Rockall and Mary Myer assist Cheryl Holloway at admission table for A Day in the Village festivities. Photo provided by Stockbridge Community Outreach

Diane Tandy (left) and Cheryl Holloway (right) prepare Tide Me Over bags. Photo provided by Stockbridge Community Outreach

Cheryl helping sort produce donated by Gee Farms and Pregitzer Farms. Photo provided by Stockbridge Community Outreach

Cheryl Holloway (left) with Sherry Bush, a former student and fellow Stockbridge Community Outreach board member. Photo provided by Stockbridge Community Outreach.