Mountain Mission School provides an education and Christ-centered home for students from all over the world. Church Mutual Insurance Company’s specialized coverage helps them do it safely, year after year.
By Dawn Bernatz
Nestled in the mountains of Grundy, Va., Mountain Mission School (MMS) might look like a regular K-12 campus — but inside, it’s much more than that.
“Mountain Mission School is a home, a school and a church for children in need,” said Wanda Beery, Outreach and Alumni Coordinator at MMS. “We help kids who did not get a great chance at just being kids.”
MMS was founded in 1921 as a safe haven for children in need living in Virginia. Since then, it’s expanded its reach far and wide — children from more than 80 countries and almost every U.S. state have received care and education at the campus in Grundy. “The majority of our children come to us out of poverty,” MMS President Chris Mitchell said. “One of our greatest missions is to break that cycle.”
“Our kids can be as young as six months old, all the way through seniors in high school, with more than 95% of our students going on to college,” said Jessica Hertzog, MMS vice president and Director of Education. “Students have opportunities to participate in athletics, different clubs, youth groups, a little bit of everything. They feel safe and secure that they are able to experience peace and happiness in this environment.” Today, the school has provided a loving home and robust education to more than 20,000 kids from across the globe.
Mountain Mission School’s unique mission and ministry are made possible thanks in part to specialized insurance that helps keep the students, staff and campus safe. Church Mutual has been MMS’s primary insurer for more than a decade, providing customized coverage that fits the school’s needs. “We’re a bit of a unique organization in our diversity of activities and facilities, so we can present an insurer a challenge or two,” President Mitchell said. “Church Mutual has really risen to the occasion. We are with the best company that we can be with to provide the proper insurance coverage for Mountain Mission School.”
Learn more about Mountain Mission School.
Dawn Bernatz is AVP — Corporate Communications at Church Mutual.
