2
Woman By Katy Fassler
Woman
Maribel Sanders The Face of Sebring Macaroni Kid
M
others wear many hats; gourmet chef, chauffeur, financial advisor and home manager to name a few. Maribel Sanders, a graduate of the University of Central Florida, a wife and a homeschooling mom of two girls, wears her many hats well and is working to help parents juggle the necessities and busyness of raising children. Sanders, a Sebring resident, is heavily involved in the Highlands Maribel Sanders County community. She and her husband, Mike, serve at Grace Bible Church, leading the married couples’ ministry and are involved in other Bible studies and ministries. She loves to tell the story of how she and her husband met, in a psychiatric ward! Sanders was in school studying to be a child psychologist and Mike was working as a nurse. While she decided to take her love of children in a different direction, finishing her degree in special education, she left school with wonderful experiences and the love of her life. Sanders, the publisher of the newsletter and website Sebring Macaroni Kid, saw the need for a resource for families to know the happenings of the area. “A few years ago, I was talking with a mom and said ‘There has to be a place where someone can go and find all the things for families’. That got the ball rolling.” The free website gives a rolling calendar of events, promotes local businesses and hosts events for families of Highlands County and surrounding areas. It also includes blog posts of activities, crafts, tips on parenting and weekly newsletter.
Heartland LIVING August September 2015
84
One of the largest events, Sebring Macaroni Kid organization has hosted is the Princess Ball, a father- daughter evening at the Circle Theater. This year’s ball will be September 25 from 6-8 pm. “It is so important in a little girl’s life, to have special moments with her dad.” Tickets are now available. Sharing events and information is only one side of Sanders’ dream. Watching the community come together is the ultimate goal. In May of 2013, Sebring Macaroni Kid was instrumental in rallying the community to help a family with a terminal child visit Disney World. Through the generous gifts and funds raised from Ruby Tuesday dinners, Maribel was able to make arrangements for the hotel, tickets and even some spending money for the family to enjoy a wonderful and much deserved vacation. “Sebring Macaroni Kid is the resource for families. How time consuming is it to find what is going on? Now it is a lot easier; it’s all in one place!” For more information and to see all that is happening in the Highlands County area, visit www.sebring.macaronikid.com.¢