Alexandra Tompkins joined Carol's Kitchen as our executive director to manage day-to-day kitchen activities and to serve as the chief operating officer for the board of directors. She notes that her "full name" is Emma Alexandra Tompkins, making her initials “EAT,” which she calls “very appropriate” …
Stories
Volunteer Spotlight: Kelly Mirci
Kelly Mirci has volunteered with Carol’s Kitchen since 2008. A retiree of the Banning School District, Kelly has also taught and served as principal for elementary and middle schools in Beaumont. He is one of our super-volunteers and a key operational figure at our St. Kateri location in Beaumont. …
Volunteer Spotlight: Vince Oddo
Vince Oddo has volunteered with Carol’s Kitchen for three and a half years at the Banning Community Center. Before coming to the San Gorgonio Pass, he worked and lived in El Monte then later Rancho Cucamonga, having served as a volunteer firefighter for 14 years (before these cities employed …
Volunteer Spotlight: Lucy Rogers
This month, we feature our longtime volunteer Lucy Rogers, who serves at our Beaumont location every Thursday. Originally from the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, Lucy has made a home for herself in the San Gorgonio Pass. She not only volunteers with us at Carol’s Kitchen but also at the …
Volunteer Spotlight: Vickie Keely
Vickie Keely has been a Carol’s Kitchen volunteer since 2007. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Vickie moved to Banning in 1962 when her father acquired a job in the area. While she lived briefly in Cabazon, Vickie moved back to Banning in 1995 where she has remained ever since. Before volunteering …
Volunteer Spotlight: Noah Richee
Noah Richee moved from the Orange County and LA areas four years ago to live in Banning. His grown children live in Long Beach and Los Angeles; one of his brothers lives in Orange County while the other resides in Washington state. A retired wholesale distributor and business owner, Noah volunteers …
Volunteer Spotlight: Irma Wozniak
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Colton and Bloomington, Irma Wozniak eventually moved to Rialto where she lived for 33 years and raised her family. She has four children and eight grandchildren. For 26 years, Irma worked for the San Bernardino City Unified School District as a third grade teacher …
Volunteer Spotlight: Thelma B. Willingham
Photo: Courtesy of Curtis Bittner Thelma B. Willingham was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and in her 20s, moved to upstate New York where she met her husband Marion, a native of Albany. In 2009, she and her husband moved to Four Seasons in Beaumont, where they had bought a house in 2007. At …
Volunteer Spotlight: Jasmin Otto
Jasmin Otto (pictured center above) volunteered with Carol's Kitchen on a four-month program from her home in Germany. Check out the interview we did with her below. Where are you from originally? How did you hear about Carol's Kitchen? I am from Berlin, Germany. I wanted to spend a few months …