Cathy DeSutter: Making Fresh Foods Available to Families in Need

[Back to the August 2011 newsletter]

Cathy DeSutter

Cathy DeSutter’s talent as a leader began displaying itself early in her life. Her kindergarten teacher said Cathy was a born leader. Cathy went on to demonstrate leadership throughout her high-school years, through her career in public accounting with Arthur Andersen, and in a variety of community efforts. She recently retired from her part-time assistant controller position for Don Stevens, Inc., a distributor of commercial food-service and HVAC equipment to the hospitality industry.

“I took the Vital Aging Network’s Evolve: Re-igniting Self & Community class because I was ready for my next big step,” says Cathy. “I wanted to zero in on a passion that would keep me active in my community.” The Evolve program helped her achieve that goal. “Members of our class were very talented individuals. We gained a wealth of knowledge on how to give our talent legs. Many of us—myself included—came into the first class with absolutely no ideas for a project. With the help of classroom materials and great discussions with fellow students, we found our projects!”

Cathy DeSutter’s talent as a leader began displaying itself early in her life. Her kindergarten teacher told her mother that Cathy was a born leader. Cathy went on to demonstrate leadership throughout her high-school years, through her career in public accounting with Arthur Andersen, and in a variety of community efforts. Along the way, she participated in the Loaned Executive Program of the United Way and completed the Leadership Minneapolis program. She recently retired from her part-time assistant controller position for Don Stevens, Inc., a distributor of commercial food-service and HVAC equipment to the hospitality industry.

“I took the Vital Aging Network’s Evolve: Re-igniting Self & Community class because I was ready for my next big step,” says Cathy. “I wanted to zero in on a passion that would keep me active in my community.” The Evolve program helped her achieve that goal. “Members of our class were very talented individuals. We gained a wealth of knowledge on how to give our talent legs. Many of us—myself included—came into the first class with absolutely no ideas for a project. With the help of classroom materials and great discussions with fellow students, we found our projects!”

Cathy’s project was to help the Lakeville Resource Center’s food shelf secure refrigeration units for fresh and perishable food. The food shelf serves more than 200 families in south Minneapolis/St. Paul suburbs.

Cathy’s research revealed that demand for food assistance has increased by 40% in the past year in Minnesota. Annually, families in Minnesota miss out on 125 million meals and one in eight children are at risk of hunger every day.

The Food Industry Center’s 2010 Cost/Benefit Hunger Impact Study found that hunger costs Minnesotans between $1.26 billion and $1.62 billion every year in direct and indirect healthcare and educational costs. The most effective antidotes to these costs are the nutrition-rich fresh foods that are the hardest for at-risk families to afford. Fresh foods equate to better nutrition and a more balanced diet. One of the greatest challenges to offering fresh foods is the lack of storage capacity.

By organizing food shelf leadership and local businesses and civic organizations, Cathy was able to access the resources needed to achieve her goal. A $1,100 grant from the Thrivent Foundation and cash contributions from community banks, businesses, and nonprofits got the fundraising off the ground. Cathy’s past employer agreed to sell the equipment at a discount and the Eagan Hardware Hank agreed to install the equipment at no cost.

The food shelf  had the refrigeration unit installed in late May and the freezer in June. Cathy’s leadership has paid off and, as a result, families who would otherwise have gone without fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy foods, and meats are enjoying them now.

[Back to the August 2011 newsletter]

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