We Are In a Magazine!

Our local magazine in West Sacramento did an interview with me, Kelly, about Kare4All Inc, where I was able to share the central message of my nonprofit and some fun experiences about my time volunteering. I have included a Q & A that I did with the magazine. 

1. Name of your business and a brief description of what you provide to the community.

Kare4All Inc. is a nonprofit dedicated to helping fight food insecurity in West Sacramento. Volunteers pack boxes of food at the Yolo Food Bank, which are delivered to our customers in a safe and contactless way. Especially during the time of this Covid-19 pandemic, it is our goal to deliver to vulnerable members of our community who cannot leave their homes due to health concerns.

2. History of your business. How long have you been involved? What brought you into this line of work?

We started the process of creating Kare4All in May of 2020. I knew that I wanted to give back to my community in a meaningful way, so I tried to think of what I could do. I had previously volunteered at the Yolo Food Bank and admired the work that they were doing, and after seeing how many people were below the poverty line in the Sacramento area, I decided that I wanted to help fight food insecurity. In July, Kare4All partnered with the Yolo Food Bank, which was a big stepping stone. This partnership allowed us to receive the supplies we needed in order to reach the largest amount of people possible.

3. What’s the philosophy behind your business?

Our motto is “respect, dignity, and access to food for all.” We do not just want to deliver food to members of our community, but make sure that they feel comfortable with our deliveries. We do not in any way want to make any of our customers feel uncomfortable about needing to receive food and treat all of our customers with great respect.

4. What is your biggest inspiration in life or in your job? What do you enjoy most about your work?

My biggest inspiration is to help improve the lives of others, whether that is caring for someone when they are sick, or bring food to someone who needs it. Even causing someone to smile is a great goal. With Kare4All, I enjoy those moments that make it worthwhile. When our customers thank us, bless us, or have a great smile on their face, it brings a smile to mine. I love meeting all of the new people that we are servicing because some of them are the nicest people I have met. It truly warms my heart that I am able to somewhat contribute to their smile.

5. Do you have a special message to share with the neighborhood or community?

Something I try to do, and something I hope you all will try to do as well, is at the start of every new week, think of one kind act that you can do for someone else. It could be as small as saying “Good Morning” or asking how their day was, but it could mean a great deal to someone else. Especially during this time of Covid-19, these small acts of kindness can be viewed in a big way.

6. Do you have a funny story about your business? How do you make your work day fun?

On our first day of delivery, we had to deliver to an apartment complex. We were trying to find our destination, and we had to drive up and down the street about twenty times to try to find it. Google Maps was not doing us any favors. Eventually, we had to call our customer and explain our problem. About ten minutes later, we saw the cutest lady emerge from her apartment to try and open the gate to the complex for us. She tried to enter the code on her side, but it didn’t work. She then tried to tell me the code, the unfortunate part was that she did not speak any English, and I did not speak any Russian. After about five minutes of attempted communication, I entered in the gate code and it finally worked. My friends and I celebrated, and our customer was able to finally receive her box.

7.Tell us about yourself and family (kids, pets, other involvement in the community)

I attend St. Francis High School in Sacramento and I am a Junior. I have been a competitive USA swimmer since I was ten years old. Swim has been a huge part of my life—I practiced about fifteen hours a week before Covid. Swim has given so much to me: a second family, a way to relieve my stress, and time management skills. My swim team is like a second family to me because I spend so much time with my teammates both in and out of the water. I enjoy doing anything water related whether it is open water swimming, surfing, skimboarding, or jet skiing. I have two great parents and an adorable white dog named Elsa. I am very thankful for all that my family has given to me.