By Sue Murray, Spotlight Writer Volunteer
The skills of a good chef go far beyond creating great food. Associated talents include being well organized and detail oriented, staying calm under pressure and having good communication skills. All of these characteristics describe BCHD volunteer Kathy Herbers!
Over the past 13 years, Kathy has supported BCHD with various initiatives including counting cyclists for new bike lanes to selecting and delivering library books, filling gift bags for the Tour de Pier event in Manhattan Beach and joining a moai®.
In 2013 shortly after Kathy left her job in the insurance industry, she joined one of the walking moais to help fill her free time. The walks offered a sense of community and inspired Kathy to get more involved. Soon she was both volunteering and taking part in the walking and potluck moais. “It’s hard to approach people you don’t know, so these events take away the awkwardness in a fun and relaxed environment,” says Kathy. To ensure as many people as possible benefit from these moai groups, Kathy continues to attend BCHD’s social hours and volunteer events to invite more people to experience the fun of moais.
But it has been her devotion to the BCHD that has resulted in the success of a number of moai groups: a walking moai, a monthly potluck meal moai and a quarterly cooking moai.
Unsure of where her love of cooking came from, Kathy says, “My mom was a horrible cook so as soon as I left home, I started doing my own cooking and loved it. Healthy eating is essential across our lifespan. Maybe the cooking skills skipped a generation!”
Historically, Kathy’s potluck moais, where each person brings a dish of food to share with the other members, were held at an indoor venue such as someone’s house or a church. However, since the pandemic the events are generally located outside, in a beautiful park.
In her personal life, Kathy works full-time at Northrop Grumman. She enjoys spending time with her fiancé, daughter and grandson and enjoys walking her dogs, playing pickleball and reading.
When asked how she has time to volunteer, she explains, “It really only involves emailing the moai group reminders, walking once a week and figuring out what I’m going to cook."
“Personally, I enjoy activities involving cooking. Being involved with the moais and volunteering in general, you will find that there is something for everyone, including gardening, listening and exercising. The pleasure you get from whatever you enjoy will be amplified by doing it with other people in the community. I’d encourage everyone to visit the BCHD volunteer page today and get involved.”
