FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE
This is the second year the Dayton Daily News has recognized Unsung Heroes in the region. Because we received more than 120 nominations during the Thanksgiving holiday, we decided to profile five more people who go above and beyond to help others but rarely receive recognition for their work. For a closer look at the nominations we received and to read other Unsung Hero profiles, visit mydaytondailynews.com/projects/unsung-heroes/
Kathy Garver has always been inspired by the messages she hears at her church, St. Paul Lutheran in Butler Twp. But it was a particular message 10 years ago that set her on a course that has helped change — and feed — the lives of so many people in need.
Now a decade later, Garver serves as the co-executive director of the Vandalia-Butler Food Pantry, a role she knows truly represents the many dedicated volunteers throughout the Miami Valley who give of their time and energy to feed the hungry —not just during the holiday season but year-round.
“If I can lay my head down on the pillow at night knowing I have done the right thing, that’s all I need to do,” said Garver, 64, a grandmother of five boys.
Kevin Larger said Garver is a quiet, unsung hero who continues to inspire so many people.
"Kathy never brags about how much she does, but I do know that she directs a large group of volunteers who provide food five days a week, 52 weeks a year," said Larger, who nominated her as a Dayton Daily News Unsung Hero. His group, Rotary Club of Vandalia, is one of the many organizations that regularly aid Garver in her life-saving mission.
It all began 10 years ago when George Viars, the pantry’s former director, spoke at Garver’s church and said volunteers were needed. She signed up the next day. Since then, she has devoted 30 hours a week to the project.
“On George’s deathbed, he asked me to please keep the pantry running,” she remembers. “I am going to do that for as long as I can.”
Many people, she said, incorrectly assume that those living in Vandalia-Butler area don’t need help.
“We fed 851 families last year and 780 this year,” she said. “We have a lot of subsidized apartments and complexes in this area with residents that are in need of food. And we have a lot of older retired people on fixed incomes. The GM plant was in this area and many people stayed here after it closed.
A busy crew
Garver and her crew work their magic at a small brown brick building adjacent to the city’s government center. The project is not federally or state funded and is maintained strictly through private donations. On any given day, a handful of volunteers are busily sorting bags of donations in the back storage room. Others are assembling large bins of food from the nearly organized shelves of non-perishables— boxed cereals to canned vegetables—and adding items from the refrigerated area —milk, eggs, meats.
Thanks to the generosity of the Kroger store in Vandalia, fresh breads and baked goods can be added each day as well. Each box is filled with an estimated $150 worth of food.
Recipients can receive the gift once every 60 days. The only requirement is that live in the Vandalia-Butler area. Anyone who calls to request food is accommodated within 24 hours.
“You always have people who work the system but you can’t cut out the people who call because they really need it,” she said. “One man dropped off cases of corn and green beans and a turkey. He said a couple of years ago he’d been down on his luck and we helped him. He wanted to repay the favor and help us.”
A ‘generous’ community
Co-director Debbie Huff, who has been volunteering at the pantry since 1999, said Garver has completely re-organized and grown the operation over the years.
“When George was here a few volunteers served seven to 10 people a week, and it was a bit haphazard,” she explained. “Cathy came in and organized everything. “Now we have 32 volunteers who serve seven to ten households a day and we have community groups and churches that are each assigned to help one month out of the year.”
There are lists and spreadsheets galore. Garver begins each day by taking requests for food from her answering machine and verifying the eligibility of each call. The information is transmitted via email to that day’s team leader, who schedules a pick-up time and arrives at the pantry by 4 p.m. to put orders together.
“This community is very generous,” said Garver, who said most of the staples are donated through annual food drives and contributions. Additional money raised helps with the $50,000 annual budget that’s used to buy fresh items.
“Kathy has a heart of gold and is always patient with the volunteers,” said nominator Larger. “She makes sure the pantry stays organized and clean; no small task with a new group of often inexperienced volunteers every day.”
Garver , who insists God comes through for the pantry every time finances are low or a freezer breaks down, speaks at local civic and fraternal organizations about the food pantry and the need for continued donations and volunteers. She attends meetings and works with the pantry’s board of directors that provides oversight.
Her husband, Rick, helps out as well. Though they didn’t realize it until they met years later at a mutual friend’s birthday party, Garver and her spouse actually met at birth when their mothers shared a room at Springfield’s Mercy Hospital.
“Rick is 19 hours older than I am and we’ve been married 44 years,” Garver said. “My children are volunteers too and I hope this work has taught them to be thankful for what we have. Not everyone is able to go to a cupboard and take what they want when they are hungry.”
Giving of her time is actually part of the Garver family’s motivation. Her son Brian is a fire chief in Clayton, while son Chad is a fire captain in Vandalia Fire Department.
Volunteer Linda Hart says Garver is willing to do anything and everything to make the pantry a success.
“She will do everything from paperwork and taking calls to grocery shopping and cleaning the shelves,” said Hart. “She is definitely the glue that holds us all together.”
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