November 30, 2022
Room to learn
Around Town East-West Gateway presents Outstanding Local Government Achievement Awards. Pg. 3 A SENIOR MOMENT. Pg. 4
St. Charles Optimist Club sponsors Youth in Government Day. Pg. 5
School Stone Creek Elementary teacher honored with 2022 Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award. Pg. 7
Features
Submitted photo George Hutchings has been on a mission to help. For over 20 years he has collected used sneakers, recycled them, and used the funds to drill clean water wells in Kenya. He turned over that organization in 2018 to develop the Juanita School, that accepts impoverished girls when their government funded schooling ends at the eighth-grade level and their families can’t afford to continue the education.
Cottleville philanthropist is turning grain silos into classrooms to give impoverished Kenyan girls high school educations By Brett Auten Geoge Hutchings asked himself a simple and accurate question. “Where is an old preacher man going to get $300,000?” he asked. Hutchings, who lives in Cottleville, is looking for the funds to continue the next step in his mission. He earned the nickname, “The Shoeman,” because he used to collect sneakers to fund water drilling projects in Kenya.
“Around four million pounds of used shoes and 300 wells,” Hutchings estimated.
“Our vision is to mold Juanita School for Girls into a Christian-valued school that will become self-sufficient while offering scholarships to the underprivileged.” ~ George Hutchings
Now, he’s turning grain silos into classrooms to give impoverished Kenyan girls high school educations. Hutchings celebrated his newest project with the Experience Kenya Modern Miracle Charity Ball held earlier this month, in O’Fallon. The event featured Kenyan singing and dancing and outside the building is an example of a grain silo to be used as a classroom for 20 girls. Hutchings will purchase 10 silos, ship See ‘LEARN’ page 2
Serving St. Louis, St. Charles and Lincoln Counties | FREE Online at mycnews.com | Vol. 24 No. 48 | 636-379-1775
Recipe, Movie & Sudoku. Pg. F-1 CLASSIFIEDS AND HOME & GARDEN. Pg. F-2 /F-3 Moore On Life, Lifestyle & Crossword. Pg. F-4
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