Mid-Continent Steel and Wire donated a stove on Thursday, Oct. 19, to the Independent Living class at Poplar Bluff High School.

Students will use the new stove to bake cookies, muffins and other pastries when operating the coffee cart each week in order to build social skills through service as well as help develop cooking abilities, according to faculty.

“We’re cooking, cleaning, folding, all the things – so they can build the skills to live on their own,” teacher Miranda Huddleston explained. Mindy Garrett, director of special services, added: “They’re getting ready for life after high school.”

The classroom previously utilized a stove over 20 years old that was partially out of order. Co-teacher Julia Sloan initially reached out to Mid-Continent upon receiving the suggestion from her husband David, who works in the trucking department, and company officials voted to finance the replacement appliance with additional safety features from Home Depot.

“We thought it was a good thing to do for such a neat program,” stated Lizeth Esquivel-Rivera, who works in the human resources department of Mid-Continent. “We support a lot of school functions in working with the community.”

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Cutline: (Standing from left) teacher Julia Sloan, student Jaylum Hood-Daniels, Lizeth Esquivel-Rivera of Mid-Continent, and Principal Dr. Valerie Ivy; and (seated, left to right) Director of Special Services Mindy Garrett, teacher Miranda Huddleston, and students Emily Faith, and Karson Busse.