‘Abbie’s Helping Hands’: Talawanda senior continues mission of giving, pursues nonprofit status
“Creating something that has changed a lot of lives and really has changed mine, too, is almost like a legacy in a way.”
Going on four years now, Abbie Marcum, a senior at Talawanda High School, has been dedicating her time and energy to helping other students and families in the district – whether they need a little tutoring, a backpack full of school supplies or help paying dues.
Now, she’s pursuing 501(c)(3) nonprofit status for her organization “Abbie’s Helping Hands,” with the hope that it’ll carry on even after she graduates.
“Creating something that has changed a lot of lives and really has changed mine, too, is almost like a legacy in a way,” Abbie said. “There’s so much that can be done once it’s processed … there’s so many more opportunities.”
Marcum’s been tutoring students in Oxford for a few years, from first grade through adults working toward their GED, and participating in the local Big Brothers Big Sisters Program. But something changed during her 2024 school year when she noticed her cousins had racked up fees for school-issued Chromebooks that they were struggling to cover.
“That really just sparked everything for her,” Kayla Marcum, Abbie’s mother said. “She got to looking into other people, like what they owe, and that’s how she started raising money, so she could help other people.”
Talawanda students are issued Chromebooks to take home and use to complete their homework starting in the fifth grade. For the computer to stay activated, families must pay $40 at the beginning of each school year.
Abbie estimated it was October 2025 when she had raised around $5,250 to give to the Talawanda School District, which was used to pay off all the remaining middle and high school Chromebook fees, $3,046 worth, with enough left over to pay off about $2,204 in student lunch debt.
Abbie also organized meals for school district families during Thanksgiving and Christmas, partnering with the Talawanda Transportation Office, as her mother is a bus driver, to collect non-perishables, turkey vouchers and other donated items. She estimated she was also able to help around 30 kids get new clothes and other essentials and two gifts each during the 2025 holiday.
Abbie Marcum, a Talawanda High School senior, purchases turkeys and other items to give to Talawanda School District families for Thanksgiving 2025 in this undated photo. Photos provided by Abbie Marcum.
At the end of May, Abbie volunteered with her boyfriend at a children’s clothing drive at AP Church, spending the day grilling and giving away over 100 hot dogs to community members showing up to offer support.
Now, she says she’s working on a back-to-school drive, with which she’s aiming to help 50 Talawanda kids this year with getting their general school supplies, like backpacks and pencils.
Abbie is from Preble County and said she “didn’t have a lot” growing up. When she moved to the Talawanda School District, she saw the need and realized she could help other students.
Abbie said of the community’s reaction to her efforts, “It’s actually been really, really good.”
“There’s been a lot of people who have offered to help give money,” she said. “We got a really, really big response when it came to the Chromebooks at the beginning of this past school year. Everybody was very happy and very eager to hopefully get a big problem under control.”
Kayla said of Abbie, “Everything that she’s done for other people is literally out of the goodness of her own heart.”
“She has seen people struggle, and she’s just wanted to do everything she possibly can to help people and at least make their day a little bit better if she can,” Kayla said, adding the 17-year-old works at Walmart and spends money out of her own paychecks to help others.
Abbie Marcum, a Talawanda High School senior, poses with Shana Rosenberg of Uptown Threads in these undated photos after Abbie selected $100-worth of clothing for around 25 kids completely free using the shop’s Karma Bucks program and was given stuffed animals from the shop to give to kids as Christmas gifts in 2025. Photo provided by Abbie Marcum.
Abbie said she knew there were several low-income families living in the school district – she just didn’t realize exactly how many.
“I had well over 50 families reach out for Thanksgiving,” she said. “It was even more for Christmas, and unfortunately, I had to say ‘no’ to some of them because there was no way that we were going to be able to provide that much food for so many people.”
According to censusreporter.org, which pulls data directly from U.S. Census Bureau survey data, a 5-year survey ending in 2024 showed more than 28% of people living in the Talawanda School District were living below the poverty level, which is more than double the rate in Butler County as a whole. About 20% of children under 18 living in the Talawanda School District were also recorded as living below the poverty level.
Abbie said her experience has also been eye-opening for her, as she realized the struggles of the classmates she sees everyday.
Abbie will be able to finish her remaining credits at Talawanda High this November and will take online classes through Cincinnati State. She said she hopes to enroll at Miami University for the fall 2027 semester to study social work, although she’s also been interested in education for a while.
Regardless, she wants to ensure Abbie’s Helping Hands carries on. She said having a 501(c)(3) status would allow for larger monetary donations, and she already has a couple of friends at school in mind who may be interested in taking over.
Anyone wishing to support Abbie’s Helping Hands by donating money or school supplies for the upcoming drive may reach Abbie at marcumabrielle12@gmail.com or visit the Abbie’s Helping Hands Facebook page.
