Volunteer of Year Continues Service Minutes After Winning Award

Just minutes after receiving a Volunteer of the Year award from The Salvation Army Harbor Light Shelter Nov. 13, volunteer cook Kathy Ayers proved why she’s so worthy of the honor.

Ayers, who once held a donation drive that yielded a truckload of toiletries for Harbor Light residents, was cleaning up after a Harbor Light banquet in which she and others were honored for their service. Kitchen supervisor Jan Bloom told Ayers that if she was planning any big new service projects, Harbor Light needed hats, scarves and gloves to keep its bell ringers warm. (Some Harbor Light residents working toward self-sufficiency get paid $8 per hour to bell ring.)

"I of course loved the idea, but with only a week before (bell ringing) was to start, how was I going to pull this off?” Ayers said. “I told Jan I could work on it for next year, but not this year.”

Ayers left the shelter and returned to her job in Minnetonka as a real estate specialist for UnitedHealth Group. Her boss congratulated her for her award, after which Ayers mentioned the idea of gathering winter items for bell ringers next year.

“Within an hour I received a call from our Office of Social Responsibility and I had a donation,” Ayers aid. “Immediately I started shopping (online) and bought coats, boots, socks, hags, gloves and scarves.”

Ayers bought enough clothes to fill an entire Salvation Army delivery van. The items were distributed on Thanksgiving Day at Harbor Light to bell ringers and others in need. Some of the clothes were handed out by Minnesota Vikings quarterback Gus Frerotte, offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie and defensive tackle Fred Evans, all of whom paid a Thanksgiving visit to Harbor Light.  

Ayers’ inspiring effort was accompanied with plenty of humility.

“Most of the credit goes to Jan,” Ayers said. “She planted the seed and then I got really lucky.”

Ayers became involved with The Salvation Army a year ago after attending a “Beyond the Red Kettle” tour. The tours are free, one-hour events held three times a month at four Twin Cities Salvation Army facilities. Lunch is provided, along with staff and client testimonials about how The Salvation Army and its countless services have touched them.

To sign up for a tour, click here.