North AL search dogs, cancer support + more—how 5 community members are uplifting the TN Valley

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Next time you walk down Clinton Ave to stop by Honest Coffee or stroll through Bridge Street, stop and look at the faces of those around you.

You may be surprised how many incredible stories are just one conversation away.

Take these five community members, for example, who have founded clothing closets in schools, led dogs on missing person searches and more. At one point, they all decided that the status quo wasn’t good enough and dug deeper to make their communities better across the Tennessee Valley.

Here are their stories.

Meet the 5 Community Champions

These five community members recently attended Redstone Federal Credit Union’s Community Champion awards ceremony, where they were honored for their community service. Check out the incredible work they did to receive recognition:

• Matthew Dormus (Huntsville, AL) is a mental health advocate who turned his pain into purpose to create a safe space for his peers at Oakwood University. He created The Story Room. Along with being a calm and quiet place, The Story Room includes anonymous accounts of other Oakwood students to serve as a source of solace and inspiration.
• Janet Geist (Gurley, AL) has served as a leader for the North Alabama Search Dog Association and played a pivotal role in training dogs and their owners for search-and-rescue missions. The team can cover 40-60 acres with one dog and two people in about two hours (equivalent to the range of 100 people).
• Christie Harmon (Gurley, AL) started the Isaiah 41:10 Foundation after losing her son to cancer. The foundation has raised nearly $800,000 to support research and families battling childhood cancer with faith, comfort and critical resources.
• Brent and Anna Morgan (Murfreesboro, TN) started answering questions and offering support to fellow foster parents and eventually realized that there was a serious need for foster parent mentorship in the community. Through Bridge Family Ministries, they host events, share resources and offer support to foster families.
• Kate O’Neal (Hazel Green, AL) saw a need for children in the Madison County school system to have access to clothing, hygiene products and other essentials. She founded the Caring Link, which is accessible to all students regardless of their financial situation.

Honored by Redstone Federal Credit Union

One of my favorite parts of the awards ceremony was witnessing the reactions of the recipients as they watched the documentary-style videos that Redstone created for each of their stories.

With their family and friends around them, these Community Champions experienced the fruit of their labors, as their long hours and hard work turned into community recognition and connection.

After the awards ceremony, a couple of Community Champion award winners shared with us what keeps them going:

“A lot of Oakwood students come to Huntsville from all over the country, and they have to settle into a totally new environment. They deal with loneliness, homesickness and other mental health issues. I’m so thankful to be able to provide a space where students can feel better when they’re dealing with a myriad of mental health challenges.”

Matthew Dormus, Creator of The Story Room

“When you are in a community, it’s so important to take responsibility for that community and find ways to serve. I felt like it was my responsibility to act when I saw that there were community members who needed our help. Those children could not provide for themselves, so it was up to us to step in.

One of the most important values of a community is that we are one and unified, and we need to take action with that in mind.”

Kate O’Neal, Founder of The Caring Link

Redstone’s commitment to the North AL/Tennessee community

The Community Champions program builds on Redstone’s founding values. Above all, Redstone values its members and believes in the “power of people helping people.”

All five of the 2025 Community Champions are Redstone members, and this recognition is just one way the credit union gives back to its members.

“Community Champions are unsung heroes among us who selflessly contribute to the well-being and improvement of our communities. By recognizing their acts of kindness, we aim to inspire others and foster a culture of caring and community spirit.”

Redstone Federal Credit Union

This recognition also grants the Community Champions’ ventures visibility in the community and helps them move their missions forward.

Check out the inspirational Community Champion video series.

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