Kathy and the food pantry--where your money goes

Kathy at the Fire House at Christmas Time

Kathy is like civic mother to the community. She worries about them. She tries to do her best for them and help them do the best for themselves. And, like a good mother she can get tired of the same old, same old when those she cares for are acting ornery. A realist when it comes to what people need. Kathy does the community outreach for Willow Woods. Her main responsibility is working with the families to try to help them help themselves. Many lack motivation and have a sense of hopelessness. Younger mothers have no knowledge of how to prepare whole and raw foods and for the most part have no real interest in learning. This is a huge challenge. But Kathy hangs in there.

In addition to preparing food boxes from our pantry (30-40 families per month), she is the sign up and distribution person for SHARE, a collective food buying program, and USDA commodity foods. This means that Kathy does the paperwork, picks up, and arranges distribution of this food. She also is a main stay at the Fire House Food Distribution. She is always on top of things, looking for what needs to be done and is usually the first to be on it.

Kathy is the only paid staff in Radford. She works 20 or so hours per week at only $10.00/hour. Frankly, without Kathy I don't know how we would manage. She is not only my most long term staff person. She has come to be one of my most trusted friends.

She's going to kill me for this picture but it is soooo Kathy in Action.