Patti Hollingsworth will tell you she is just the vice president of the Martinsville Elementary Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). She will also tell you the group is a liaison between the community and the school, that every voice is welcome, and that the whole point — every fundraiser, every event, every volunteer shift — comes back to the kids. She means all of it, and it shows.

The PTO has about 20 active members right now, which Hollingsworth says is the highest number it has ever had. She believes the growth speaks to what people see happening. "The community can see it," she said, "and they feel the welcoming environment, and they know the things that we're doing, and they think that I want to be part of that. My voice is going to be heard."

The group meets roughly once a month, with scheduling dictated less by a fixed calendar and more by the reality that everyone involved is also a parent navigating a web of ball games and extracurricular activities. They coordinate through Facebook — the Martinsville PTO page — where they also announce fundraisers, seek donations, and recruit volunteers.

The PTO's signature fundraiser is Binga, a community event built around bingo-style play, gift basket raffles, and silent auctions. Local businesses, parents, and community members donate items, and each classroom teacher organizes a themed basket —a pet-supply basket, another with a spa theme, etc. — assembled piece by piece from what students bring in. The proceeds from Binga fund much of what the PTO does throughout the year, from covering field trip transportation costs to purchasing classroom supplies when teachers need something that falls outside the school's budget.

But the event Hollingsworth talks about with the most warmth isn't a fundraiser at all. Each December, the PTO transforms the elementary gym into a Santa Shop — a store stocked with items priced between fifty cents and five dollars, purchased in bulk right after Christmas when seasonal goods go on clearance. Parents send their children with a small envelope of money and a list of names. The kids shop on their own, then move to a wrapping station to prepare their gifts to take home.

No child is left out. For students whose families can't send money, the PTO quietly provides it. "I want every kid to have a good experience," Hollingsworth said. The commitment is personal. She was a young mother when her oldest — now a college sophomore — was in elementary school, and she remembers what it meant for him to feel included. "If they needed to give him money, he felt included. And I think inclusion is a huge thing."

Field Day is another major undertaking. The PTO organizes the entire end-of-year celebration — activity stations, a foam party on the playground complete with a company that fills the blacktop with foamy bubbles, and an ice cream treat for every student. It is the kind of day kids remember, and it requires months of saving and planning to pull off.

The PTO also works closely with principal Mrs. Cooper, whose creativity and partnership Hollingsworth credits as central to what makes the group effective. When Cooper brings an idea to the PTO, the answer is almost always yes. When a teacher needs something for a classroom, and the school's resources fall short, the request can be routed through Cooper to the PTO for consideration.

Hollingsworth is clear that participation doesn't have to mean attending meetings. Some people donate money. Some show up for Santa Shop to help wrap gifts — grandparents and aunts and uncles who once had kids in the elementary school, and simply like being around the children. It all counts. "Sometimes it's the manpower we're short on," she said. "There are a whole bunch of different ways to help."

For anyone who wants to get involved — whether with a check, an afternoon of wrapping presents, or a seat at the next monthly meeting — the Martinsville PTO Facebook page is the place to start. The welcome mat is out.