Tom & Kathy Krile Named LAUW Partner Agency Volunteers of the Year

           

Longtime Resale Center volunteers, Tom and Kathy Krile were honored as the 2022 Agency Volunteers of the Year Award.  The award is presented to an agency volunteer who has shown exemplary leadership and dedication to one or more United Way Community Partner agencies. The Krile's were honored at the Lubbock Area United Way Annual Meeting on January 26, 2023.

 

Tom and Kathy Krile have been volunteering with the Catholic Charities thrift shop, the Resale Center, for 15 years!  When they initially started volunteering, Tom and Kathy helped organize, clean, and price items for the Resale Center.  

 

Eventually, they each found unique ways to use their talents in ways that were even more  helpful to the thrift store.  Tom, a retired electrical engineer, began checking and repairing electrical items such as lamps and appliances, that could be salvaged, and then sold at the store.  Kathy, began mending and organizing items such as curtains, sheets, and fabric. 

WATCH THEIR STORY HERE: 

 

When the pandemic caused the Resale Center to temporarily close to the public, Tom and Kathy continued to find ways to help.  They did not give up their volunteer work, but instead pivoted to picking up items from the store, and taking them back home to repair them.

 

Proceeds from the Resale Center stay local, and go right back into the programs of Catholic Charities – programs such as family and youth counseling, direct client assistance, the parent empowerment program, and elderly outreach.  With 15 years of service, the Kriles have not only donated hundreds of hours of time, but have also essentially helped raised thousands of dollars to benefit Catholic Charities clients.

 

If you come by the Resale Center, you most likely will not see Tom and Kathy.  They will be in the back workroom, working quietly, without fanfare. They are not ones to seek recognition or even thanks.  Tom and Kathy volunteer because of their desire to be the hands and feet of their deep faith. Not only do they volunteer as a couple, they also often bring along their grandchildren, hoping to pass this desire to help, onto the next generations. 

 

Catholic Charities is so thankful for Tom and Kathy.  They have set an example to both young and old alike – and shown us how we can each use our talents to serve others, even when times are challenging.