At her core, Sandy Haggard is a helper. It’s just who she is.
“I grew up on a dairy farm,” she explains. “As a farmer’s daughter, my upbringing taught me to take care of my neighbors.”
It’s a lifelong theme, coupled with a love of learning. Both will serve Haggard well in her new role at the Southwind Extension District as an Agent for Nutrition, Food Safety and Health. She started in the position April 14.
Haggard is from Stanberry, Mo., a town of about 1,000 in north-central Missouri. After high school, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s in adult education.
“Cows put me through college,” she says with a laugh.
Haggard has worked at a community blood center in St. Joseph, Mo. She’s taught GED classes in Arizona. In Taiwan, she taught junior high English and spent 10 years teaching English at a university.
Those extensive travels were with her late husband Michael Haggard, a pastor who served several congregations and was at First Christian Church of Erie until his death in 2020. Those experiences ˜greatly impacted her life, especially living abroad.
“I am a person of faith,” said Haggard. “In Taiwan, we were able to work with people who had never heard basic Bible stories. We were able to baptize several young people, and I still have a lot of connections with them.” She visited Taiwan last March for a two-week trip, a welcome chance to catch up with friends.
HAGGARD moved to Chanute in 2022. For the past seven years, she worked as the director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program at Neosho County Community College.
The program, which had close to 200 volunteers 55 years and older operating in Allen, Bourbon, Neosho and Woodson counties, worked with food banks, elementary schools, blood drives, and more.
It was funded through an AmeriCorps Seniors grant. The Trump administration’s DOGE has gutted AmeriCorps, ending nearly $400 million in grants and placing around 85% of the agency’s staff on leave.
Karah Kellogg, the college’s director of outreach, said the program will continue but is still waiting to receive funds and learn the amount. “We’ve been told we will be awarded funds, but the money has not officially been placed,” Kellogg told the Register. “We did receive a letter, but as of right now AmeriCorps is unable to provide a timeframe.”
Amid such uncertainty, Haggard decided it best to move on, even though she loved her job. And that’s what brought her to Iola.
HAGGARD describes herself as a quiet extrovert. Never the life of the party, but always happy to be there. And so as she gets used to her new role, she’s delighted about the chance to meet new people.
“I’m excited about the variety, of having something different to do every day, meeting new people, and getting more involved in Allen County,” she said. Haggard has already jumped in helping with preparations for the upcoming county fair.
She’s excited to start cooking classes with children and sees huge value in kids learning how to create simple, healthy meals. But she has an eye for programs focused on older adults, too.
