Seventeen Years of Service: Marie Poindexter-Hornback’s Quiet Commitment to Families in Need

Seventeen years ago, Marie Poindexter-Hornback began helping families through local area schools without knowing how deeply it would shape her life. She simply saw a need and felt a responsibility to step in where she could. Over time, that small beginning turned into years of steady service, guided by compassion and a belief that no child should struggle alone.

Working with schools allowed her to reach families at moments when support mattered most. Some needed help putting food on the table, others needed clothes, supplies, or assistance during the holidays. Often, what families needed most was reassurance—someone to remind them that asking for help is not a failure, but a sign of strength.

Throughout these 17 years, Marie has witnessed both hardship and resilience. She has seen parents juggling impossible choices and children carrying worries far beyond their age. While also seening hope return when families realized they were not forgotten. Those moments reinforced why consistency matters—being present year after year builds trust and creates lasting impact.

This work has taught Marie that real change doesn’t always happen in big gestures. It happens quietly, through patience, respect, and showing up again and again. The relationships formed along the way have been just as meaningful as the assistance provided.

Helping families through local schools has become more than volunteer work—it is part of who she is. Seventeen years later, she continues this commitment with the same purpose: to support, uplift, and remind families that their community stands with them.

Marie Poindexter-Hornback 

Hawthorne, CA

Mariehornback@yahoo.com