"Her TASK Completed, She Retired"
Quietly and under the radar as usual, Cathy retired today -- Feb 1 -- after 10 years of running the soup kitchen in Trenton (TASK). No fanfare, no newspaper articles, no TV, no proclamations from the governor -- just hugs and well-wishes from staff, patrons and volunteers she has touched.
She saw that meals were ready and served (including planning menus, ordering food and managing the kitchen staff). She solicited, scheduled and managed the volunteers. She paid the bills. She handed out hygiene bags and helped patrons with bus fare, work shoes, and the like. She saw to it that unruly patrons were handled without fuss ("It's not in your best interest..." "You're banned from TASK for a week but you can come to the door and still get your meals.") She oversaw the website, the phone system and and the HVAC and security alarm systems (I still recall the week when she got calls at 5AM almost every morning until a loose connection was fixed!). She was HR. She prepared the budget. She wrote procedure manuals. She ran the Easter egg hunt and the Halloween party. She managed the year-long building expansion project. And she found time to visit schools, churches and other groups to talk about TASK. She did it all with caring, respect, compassion -- and an iron fist (see "It is not in your best interest..." above).
The cop who provides a police presence at TASK observed that they had to hire four people to replace her!
I call her a remarkable woman and the best person I have ever known. And I am so lucky to be married to her.
Here are some pictures of the retirement party given by the staff at TASK.
She saw that meals were ready and served (including planning menus, ordering food and managing the kitchen staff). She solicited, scheduled and managed the volunteers. She paid the bills. She handed out hygiene bags and helped patrons with bus fare, work shoes, and the like. She saw to it that unruly patrons were handled without fuss ("It's not in your best interest..." "You're banned from TASK for a week but you can come to the door and still get your meals.") She oversaw the website, the phone system and and the HVAC and security alarm systems (I still recall the week when she got calls at 5AM almost every morning until a loose connection was fixed!). She was HR. She prepared the budget. She wrote procedure manuals. She ran the Easter egg hunt and the Halloween party. She managed the year-long building expansion project. And she found time to visit schools, churches and other groups to talk about TASK. She did it all with caring, respect, compassion -- and an iron fist (see "It is not in your best interest..." above).
The cop who provides a police presence at TASK observed that they had to hire four people to replace her!
I call her a remarkable woman and the best person I have ever known. And I am so lucky to be married to her.
Here are some pictures of the retirement party given by the staff at TASK.
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posted by Pete Holsberg @ 1:11 PM
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