On December 7th., after 14 years as the head of the Food Finder’s Food Bank, Katy O’Malley Bunder is retiring.
I’m sure somebody on her staff has put together a list of Katy’s accomplishments over these past years. Food Finders has moved from a warehouse on the edge of town convenient only for truckers, to three buildings in the center of town (including a grocery store!) convenient to the food bank’s clients. The food bank has moved from distributing two million pounds of food to distributing 13.8 million lbs. of food. It has grown from nine employees to thirty-three. Food Finders has increased its capital assets from 2 million to 8 million dollars. Katy even managed 30 members of the National Guard for seven months during the covid pandemic.
The profile of the food bank has risen in the community.
Katy has done all that while steering between the ideological left which would ice its cake with a focus on an ”equity lens” rather than on food distribution, and the ideological right which sees the poor as evil, an uncomfortable critique of their religious belief in self-reliance and in the infallibility of capitalism.
As she retires, I have three reflections to share on my bright, beautiful wife’s work both as head of New Chauncey Housing Incorporated for nine years and as the CEO and President of Food Finders.
First, “hurray”! Or some other yell of approbation. . . . I’m glad for her and us.
Second, I don’t think Katy has ever gotten the respect she deserves.
If a middle-aged white male had achieved the entrepreneurial successes that Katy has, state Republicans would be running him for office.
But there is the presumption that poor relief is a scam; something like the panhandlers at an intersection. There is no need. Doing good is seen as silly or naïve.
There is also a price to be paid for being a woman; all those microaggressions based on the assumption that a “little lady” can’t possibly know what she’s doing, in spite of her record. There is a price to be paid for being nice.
There is a price to be paid for proposing anything new. Imagination is not always seen as a virtue. It is better to just shoot at your feet rather than help. There is always something wrong or dangerous or expensive or judgmental about “new”.
Nevertheless, she persisted.1
Nevertheless, she succeeded. Though the years of dealing with all the sadness that comes with a commitment to the poor have taken their toll.
Third, to all of you, just don’t break it. At West Lafayette city hall, given the mayor’s illness, that’s become a mantra. Just don’t break it. Though I think John has put it more colorfully from time to time; “we’ve already done all the hard work, just don’t let them f--- it up.”
You have experienced a period of remarkable institutional achievement.
Just don’t break it. Okay, Food Finder’s is quite a contraption. Things will fall off and then be glued back on. Sections will be repaired or replaced. You will do new things. Just don’t stop caring about poor people. Look at that line. Just don’t stop forcing a conversation about why people are in that line; keep asking “why”. Shorten that line.
Finally, Feeding America recently sent Katy a framed poem by Marge Piercy entitled “To Be of Use” as a parting gift.
These are the final two lines:
“The pitcher cries for water to carry
And a person for work that is real”
Katy really found something to do.
Congratulations to her.
Do listen to Katy talk about her work at Food Finders in her own words. This is from the interview she did on the occasion of her “Salute to Women” Award.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACD62tEuZPI
1 “She had appeared to violate the rule. She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.” - Senator Mitch McConnell silencing Senator Elizabeth Warren. 2/7/2017
