Ties, bow-ties, hair-bows, and pearls donated in support of Matilda Hartley Elementary Professional Dress Tuesdays

"It gives them an opportunity to feel valued, to feel love, to feel that they have been embraced by the community at large," New Hope Baptist Church Pastor Christopher Cabiness said.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Everyone wants their children to look and dress good, and a local elementary school and church teamed up to take it to the next level.

Professional Dress Tuesdays: it’s a tradition that Matilda Hartley Elementary School has held for years, and in support of that tradition, New Hope Baptist Church held a ceremony where fifth graders Karly Alston and Jonah McClinton accepted the first hair-bow, pearls, and bow-tie from Paula Adams of the Macon Chapter of the Links, Incorporated and Pastor Christopher Cabiness of New Hope Baptist Church. The rest of the donated ties, bow-ties, hair-bows and pearls will be given to students throughout the week.

Matilda Hartley Elementary School Principal Dr. Laquonta Williams-Smith also passed out Certificates of Appreciation to people in the community who helped with the event.

Paula Adams of the Macon Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, who’s also a retired educator of 30 years, says it was an honor to be able to come back to Hartley Elementary and support the teachers and students.

Cabiness says the donation was made possible by various sponsors, community members and other organizations, and whenever there’s a need, the church seeks to provide for that need to give students a bright future.

“It’s our goal to help them to understand the importance of self-worth as well as it gives them an opportunity to understand the purpose of what it means to dress, not necessarily to impress alone, but it gives them an opportunity to feel valued, to feel love, to feel that they have been embraced by the community at large,” Cabiness said. “That has been our sole purpose, knowing that as we make these initial investments at the early phase of their lives, we’re sowing into their destiny.”

“We’re here to cultivate those gifts, to cultivate those talents that they have, that we can train them up,” Cabiness added. “As they grow and mature in life, that they will continue to embrace the values that we’ve instilled in them at an early age.”

According to a Bibb County School District news release, the school hopes to use this tradition as part of its Leader in Me framework to instill good habits and self-esteem in its students.