Maxwell’s Barber Shop is a classic grooming barbershop on Muncie’s south side. The shop is the city’s longest-running barbershop, serving the Muncie community since 1959. During the holiday season, Maxwell’s Barber Shop hosts a community raffle to support the Southside Middle School Panther Pantry.
“I love Christmas,” says Nick Richards, owner of Maxwell’s Barber Shop. “I’m a big jolly guy myself.”
Previous raffle prizes include TVs, a Peyton Manning-signed football and a Clyde Drexler-signed jersey.
“Giving back at Christmastime is way better than receiving,” Richards says. “It’s my favorite time of the year to give back and watch people get excited about these raffle prizes.”
In the inaugural year, Richards raffled a large gumball machine.
“People were going crazy for that gumball machine,” Richards says.
The raffle runs from Nov. 1 through the third week of December.
Debra Huston is the guidance secretary at Southside Middle School. Huston runs the Southside Middle School Panther Pantry and The Christmas Project.
The Southside Middle School Panther Pantry and The Den supply students with food, clothing, school supplies and hygiene items at no cost. Huston coordinates food purchases and handles donations and distribution.
Huston started the Backpack Program in 2015. The program provides shelf-stable, easy-to-prepare, nutritious meals for students on weekends and holidays. The program started with four students and currently assists more than 120 students.
The Southside Middle School Panther Pantry partners with the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana through The Big Idea Initiative. The Backpack Program and The Christmas Project are supported by local businesses, churches, banks, restaurants, Southside High School alumni and community members.
Roughly 150 students enroll in the annual Christmas Project each season. Both the Backpack Program and The Christmas Project offer free enrollment to any Southside Middle School student with no income qualifications.
Huston started the program after a conversation with a student in the Backpack Program. Huston says she asked the student about their Thanksgiving meal. The student replied that it was the best Thanksgiving they had ever had. When Huston inquired about what the student had for Thanksgiving dinner, the student listed the food items tucked in their backpack through the Backpack Program, including Vienna sausages, instant mashed potatoes and corn.
“I put a smile on my face and thought, ‘Oh, that’s wonderful,’ but in my head I thought, ‘We could do so much more,’” Huston says. For The Christmas Project, each child receives three meals for every day of the holiday break and a full Christmas dinner, typically including turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, corn, desserts, rolls and a salad, as well as a gift, such as a blanket or socks.
“Every kid deserves to have something to eat on a holiday. Every kid deserves something to eat,” Huston says.
Huston runs the Panther Pantry with eight dedicated volunteers and additional volunteers during the holiday season.
“I have the most amazing volunteers and the most amazing donors,” Huston says.
Huston says families are surprised, shocked, overwhelmed and grateful. Southside Middle School teachers, principals and support staff play a crucial role in identifying student needs and contributing to the pantry.
“Every school needs a pantry,” Huston says. “Every school has a family that needs help.” Huston says without community support, the Panther Pantry wouldn’t exist. Huston says the Panther Pantry is an example of a successful, community-supported student pantry.
“It takes a village, and Maxwell’s Barber Shop is a vital part of that village,” Huston says. The raffle at Maxwell’s Barber Shop has raised more than $20,000 for the Southside Middle School Panther Pantry.
Huston says Richards is one of the most generous people she knows. “I know that all I need to do is reach out to him and he’s going to help,” Huston says. “They are one of the most giving, loyal businesses around, and they don’t do it for the recognition — they do it for the kids and for the community.”
Richards, a 2018 Southside High School graduate, says Maxwell’s Barber Shop still holds true to traditional barbershop values. The community-based barbershop prides itself on knowing the generations of people who walk through the door.
“I’ve given first haircuts, and I’ve given last haircuts at funeral parlors,” Richards says. Richards says it’s been truly amazing to continue the tradition of Maxwell’s Barber Shop.
“They say you trust two people in your life — one of them is your barber and the other is your butcher,” Richards says.
During The Christmas Project, Richards helps hand out food, gifts and backpacks.
“None of this would be possible without Debra Huston,” Richards says. “She and her crew do amazing work for the kids at Southside and for the Muncie community. I just play a small part in helping raise funds.” Richards encourages the community to donate to the Southside Middle School Panther Pantry.
“It’s a great resource for the kids that go to Southside Middle School and their families,” Richards says.
For more information or to donate, contact Debra Huston at debra.huston@muncieschools.org or write a check payable to Muncie Southside Middle School with “Panther Pantry” in the memo line. Food donations, sponsorships and funding can also be coordinated through Huston.
To participate in the Maxwell’s Barber Shop raffle, visit Maxwell’s Barber Shop to purchase a ticket.
Maxwell’s Barber Shop is located at 2800 E. Memorial Dr. For more information, follow Maxwell’s Barber Shop on Facebook.
