Gracie's Kitchen receives help from Lowe's

By Cindy Jackson

November 13, 2019

Hands on.  Hearts in.

Rick Stevens, one of  Lowe's heroes, helps with the delivery of new chairs, and shelving.

That’s the tagline for how one of America’s most-loved brands Lowe’s (according to

Morning Consult) stays engaged in its communities – some 2,200 plus in the US and

Canada.

This Wednesday, November 13, 2019, five of this company’s local associates were

actively engaged and working hard at one of Nassau County’s most beloved and well-

run nonprofits. It was the Red Vest Way (i.e. Lowe’s) at none other than Gracie’s

Kitchen. Gracie’s Kitchen, sometimes referred to as The Yulee Soup Kitchen, can be

found the back of Old Yulee Middle School, on the corner of US 17 North and Pages

Dairy Road. It serves between 250 to 350 dinners per night – for a grand total of

37,000 meals served in 2018.

Rick Stevens, an Administrative Support Associate at Lowe’s located at 474283 E SR-

200, was tasked with finding a worthy organization with which Lowe’s Heroes could get

involved. Each Lowe’s store across the country selects one such project a year. As a

longtime volunteer serving meals at Gracie’s Kitchen, Stevens knew just where to go.

And Store Manager, Lamar Bryant, gave his stamp of approval.

Sharon Brown and Tiffany Smythe lend a helping hand.

Gracie’s Kitchen does not own the property so any major renovation was basically out

of the question. But what the organization did need and which Lowe’s could provide

perhaps better than anyone else was extra storage -- extra storage in the bathrooms

and hallways for mops and brooms but also extra storage in the all-important food

pantry. And now they have it. The best that money can buy. The metal racks in the

food pantry are NSF certified (National Sanitation Foundation). And what does that

mean? “NSF is the premier name in food equipment certification, providing

assurance . . . that equipment is made from safe materials, is designed and constructed

for easy cleanability and performs as intended,” as explained on their website. When nothing but the best will do.

In addition to shelving, the crew from Lowe’s did some pressure washing, brought in

new chairs, and added some nice potted plants to the landscape.

Says Mr. Stevens, “it was easy to get a crew together and I’d love to work at Gracie’s

Kitchen again next year.” The ARC, located just a few miles down the road from

Gracie’s Kitchen has been a recipient of help from Lowe’s Heroes in years past.

As noted proudly on the company website, 100% of Lowe’s U.S. stores participated in

the Lowe’s Heroes volunteer program in 2018 – with Lowe’s Heroes logging more than

200,000 volunteer hours.

Editor's Note: Born in Hagerstown, Maryland, Cindy received her BA in Political Science from Dickinson College. Upon graduation, Cindy began her career on Capitol Hill working as a legislative aide and director. She later became a part of the public relations and lobbying team of the American Iron and Steel Institute and served as director of the office of state legislative affairs for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). Cindy was involved in economic development with the state of Maryland, and served as executive director of Leadership Washington County. As a community volunteer, Cindy participates in numerous volunteer activities serving as a member of Sunrise Rotary, and as board member of Cummer Amelia Board of Directors.