The MAL-ONE Family Spirit Shines Bright This Thanksgiving

Malone, Fla. - There are moments when a community shows who it truly is, and Jackson County does that time and time again. The school district has always felt like a big family, and each school carries its own spirit. But there is something especially heartfelt about Malone School. Year after year, they seem to sense exactly when their students and their families need a little extra care, and they step forward without hesitation.

The holiday season brings excitement for many, but it can also add strain for those already working hard just to get through each day. Few understand that better than the faculty and staff at Malone. They have a remarkable way of noticing the quiet needs, the ones that aren’t always spoken. And, as they do every year, they choose to act.

This season, they came together with their extended community to provide full Thanksgiving meals for twelve families. Not a bare-bones box. Not the basics. A complete meal that felt worthy of the holiday table. Each family received a large Butterball turkey, stuffing, corn, green beans, rolls, pumpkin pie filling, pie crusts, carrots, macaroni and cheese, cream of mushroom soup, fried onions, evaporated milk, gravy packets, a recipe, and a prayer tucked in with the groceries. It was the kind of meal that fills a kitchen with warmth long before it ever reaches the oven.

For the staff and volunteers, the gratitude they received in return was something they felt deeply. They shared how meaningful it was to hear the quiet “thank you” and the heartfelt “bless you” from each family. To them, it wasn’t just about food. It was about reminding people that they aren’t alone, that someone is thinking of them. That is the heart of the MAL-ONE family, and it’s why they continue to give in the way they do.

Kudos to Malone School and to everyone who joined hands with them. Their kindness captures the true spirit of Thanksgiving, and it reflects what makes this community so special.