Healey to take Cassville OACAC Reins
November 30, 2022
Kimberly Healey is named the new supervisor of the Cassville branch of OACAC.
Ezra DeVore
Kimberly Healey will be taking over as supervisor of the OACAC as Gail Reed retires from 28 years at the position. Reed says that she has confidence in Healey’s ability.
“Kim and I were both single moms. You don’t have to be a single mom to have crisis and chaos in your life, but I saw in her a lot of me. I could tell she would be good at taking care of people,” Reed says.
Healey began volunteering at OACAC in August of 2019 and by early September she was an office assistant. With Gail Reed’s December 2 retirement nearly in effect, Healey says she’s excited and ready to continue Reed’s approach to helping the community.
As a former single mother of six children, Healey states that one of her hurdles was asking for help, so she hopes to alleviate this fear in others. “I felt like I got myself into that situation and it was my responsibility to get myself out. Luckily, I don’t have to do that anymore. I have so many people behind me now that make me want to be a better person. I just hate seeing these single women saying ‘I don’t know why I’m here, I don’t want to ask for help.’ I’ve been there - I’ve been on the other side of that desk to ask somebody for help. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, that’s why I’m here.”
Healey also says that this position is one that she feels very at home in.
“I’ve found my niche, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life, to give back what has been given to me. Gail took me up to raise, and she has taught me a whole lot. As soon as I heard she was leaving, I think I knew I wanted to do it. I wanted to take care of people. I’m so happy that I get to do it. For me to be where I am now is a blessing to me and my kids.”
However, the position isn’t always easy, she says, with the community having a great number of real needs.
“We have a lot of people coming in here needing food, and we take donations. We take hygiene, toiletries, food, bedding, home goods, dishes, blankets, we take about anything. Call us up, bring it, drop it off. We have elderly that come in here and they’ve never been in this situation, and they don’t know what to do. That’s what I’m here for, I’ll guide you through it, we’ll get you taken care of together. It’s really not a big deal.”
Healey says that some of the people who come in struggle and behave hatefully, “but that’s okay,” she says, “I don’t know what they’re going through. I’m there, I’m kind. You might be the only person being kind to them that day. Talk to them, make them laugh, converse - a lot of people don’t get that. Be that listening ear, because that’s what 90% of our clients need. It’s not about what they’re going through monetarily, it’s what they’re going through mentally.”
Gail Reed speaks on her own experience spearheading the Cassville branch of the organization:
“Twenty-eight years is a long time and I’ve really enjoyed this, but I always said I’d know when it was time, and it’s time. It’s bittersweet, it’s going to be different. I live in Wheaton, and both yesterday and today I thought, ‘I’ve driven this road everyday for 28 years. Next week is going to be weird.’
“I am excited to go home and watch Christmas movies, and not have to go out in the cold. I volunteer with Southwest Restore and Build, so I’m not going away, just going home.”
Reed says that she’s had phone calls from people that she doesn’t know, who have told her how much of an impact she made in their lives simply by helping them fill out forms when they needed it, which has informed her of her own impact in the community.
“I had a girl come to the door the other day and she told me that she remembered when she came in here with her mom, when she was a little girl, and I’ve just always been here. That’s the most rewarding thing to me, knowing that maybe I did make a difference in people’s lives. Maybe I did brighten them.”
Gail says the near three decades taught her to “find the joy” in whatever she is doing.
“Always find the joy in your life,” she says. “There’s always something to make you smile. Something to look forward to. I see so many people that don’t have any joy, and I always try to look for it.”
A public retirement party will be hosted in honor of Gail Reed on December 2 from 2 - 4 p.m.
Kimberly Healey will be taking over as supervisor of the OACAC as Gail Reed retires from 28 years at the position. Reed says that she has confidence in Healey’s ability.
“Kim and I were both single moms. You don’t have to be a single mom to have crisis and chaos in your life, but I saw in her a lot of me. I could tell she would be good at taking care of people,” Reed says.
Healey began volunteering at OACAC in August of 2019 and by early September she was an office assistant. With Gail Reed’s December 2 retirement nearly in effect, Healey says she’s excited and ready to continue Reed’s approach to helping the community.
As a former single mother of six children, Healey states that one of her hurdles was asking for help, so she hopes to alleviate this fear in others. “I felt like I got myself into that situation and it was my responsibility to get myself out. Luckily, I don’t have to do that anymore. I have so many people behind me now that make me want to be a better person. I just hate seeing these single women saying ‘I don’t know why I’m here, I don’t want to ask for help.’ I’ve been there - I’ve been on the other side of that desk to ask somebody for help. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, that’s why I’m here.”
Healey also says that this position is one that she feels very at home in.
“I’ve found my niche, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life, to give back what has been given to me. Gail took me up to raise, and she has taught me a whole lot. As soon as I heard she was leaving, I think I knew I wanted to do it. I wanted to take care of people. I’m so happy that I get to do it. For me to be where I am now is a blessing to me and my kids.”
However, the position isn’t always easy, she says, with the community having a great number of real needs.
“We have a lot of people coming in here needing food, and we take donations. We take hygiene, toiletries, food, bedding, home goods, dishes, blankets, we take about anything. Call us up, bring it, drop it off. We have elderly that come in here and they’ve never been in this situation, and they don’t know what to do. That’s what I’m here for, I’ll guide you through it, we’ll get you taken care of together. It’s really not a big deal.”
Healey says that some of the people who come in struggle and behave hatefully, “but that’s okay,” she says, “I don’t know what they’re going through. I’m there, I’m kind. You might be the only person being kind to them that day. Talk to them, make them laugh, converse - a lot of people don’t get that. Be that listening ear, because that’s what 90% of our clients need. It’s not about what they’re going through monetarily, it’s what they’re going through mentally.”
Gail Reed speaks on her own experience spearheading the Cassville branch of the organization:
“Twenty-eight years is a long time and I’ve really enjoyed this, but I always said I’d know when it was time, and it’s time. It’s bittersweet, it’s going to be different. I live in Wheaton, and both yesterday and today I thought, ‘I’ve driven this road everyday for 28 years. Next week is going to be weird.’
“I am excited to go home and watch Christmas movies, and not have to go out in the cold. I volunteer with Southwest Restore and Build, so I’m not going away, just going home.”
Reed says that she’s had phone calls from people that she doesn’t know, who have told her how much of an impact she made in their lives simply by helping them fill out forms when they needed it, which has informed her of her own impact in the community.
“I had a girl come to the door the other day and she told me that she remembered when she came in here with her mom, when she was a little girl, and I’ve just always been here. That’s the most rewarding thing to me, knowing that maybe I did make a difference in people’s lives. Maybe I did brighten them.”
Gail says the near three decades taught her to “find the joy” in whatever she is doing.
“Always find the joy in your life,” she says. “There’s always something to make you smile. Something to look forward to. I see so many people that don’t have any joy, and I always try to look for it.”
A public retirement party will be hosted in honor of Gail Reed on December 2 from 2 - 4 p.m.