By Matthew Jackson
HUNTSVILLE — Vanetta Mills spends her workday helping children.
As the office receptionist at Huntsville Elementary School, she answers the phone, signs students in and out, takes deliveries, handles guests, takes messages and juggles a myriad of other activities, sometimes all at once.
She’s not in the classroom, but she’s doing something just as vital — making everything run smoothly so the education of HES students is possible.
In her 22 years working with the Huntsville Independent School District, Mills has expanded her work beyond a simple day job, working to provide opportunities for students through local nonprofit groups and charity events.
The Huntsville native found a position in HISD almost immediately, taking a job as an instructional assistant for pre-kindergarten classes — a job she held for 11 years before moving to Huntsville Elementary in 1999.
She has been an integral part of the staff ever since.
For Mills, the joy of her job comes not only from the children, but also from the bonds she has formed with the rest of the HES staff and faculty.
“I like to interact with the kids, I love working with the families and I love the staff members here,” Mills said. “We are a great big family and we all work together to see that the kids receive the best education as well as the best family atmosphere they could possibly have away from home.”
For many years Mills has also put her educational experience to use outside of school, namely through service at St. Paul United Methodist Church.
Though she has long been a part of the ministry there, four years ago she decided the time was right to expand.
Using her position as Education Ministry Chairman at St. Paul, Mills began organizing back to school rallies for the churches children.
In 2005 she began contacting other local churches and community members with the intent of expanding the rally to a community-wide effort.
The result was Community Praise Ministry, a coalition of numerous local churches, civic groups and individuals dedicated to promoting education and community unity on behalf of Huntsville children.
In the years since the ministry was formed, the back to school rally — which began with a group of 300 children and parents in its first year — has expanded dramatically.
In 2009, more than 1,000 students and parents packed the Mance Park Middle School auditorium to participate in the rally, which also serves as a distribution spot for free school supplies.
“Working in the district for so long, I’m able to see a lot of things that happen before other people do,” Mills said. “It’s really important to me every year that we provide a good start for these kids.
“I thought it would be a good investment for the community to start giving out free school supplies.”
Mills is currently working to organize a rummage sale at Huntsville Elementary School to raise money for low-income families to have Christmas presents, and is also working with other community partners to organize a Community Praise Ministry Christmas Social this year.
For Mills, her nonprofit efforts have never been about recognition, but about showing what community unity can do.
“I think Huntsville is a community that really tries to work together to provide opportunities for our youth,” Mills said. “I think whenever there is a need, we always come together to meet the needs.”
