Meet Program Manager Kate Ross 

In October, PORCH welcomed Kate Ross as our new full-time program manager. Kate manages, maintains, and develops all aspects of our programs, including Food for Families, Food for Pantries, and Food for Schools. 

Kate has a background in corporate retail operations and, prior to accepting this role, was a volunteer lead with PORCH. She is passionate about PORCH’s mission to provide fresh, healthy food to those in our community. She appreciates being in a role where she can utilize her past operational experiences for a good cause, as well as make lasting connections with those in our community. 

Kate enjoys spending quality time with her husband and dogs, reading, crafting, and volunteering.

Read on to learn more about Kate – we hope you will get a chance to meet her soon! 

Tell us more about your professional background and your nonprofit experience as a volunteer. 

My background is in corporate retail operations; I worked for both TJX (TJ Maxx & Marshalls) and Limited Brands Victoria’s Secret. I have volunteered with different organizations in the Triangle since moving to the area in 2016. Prior to accepting this position, I was a volunteer lead with PORCH for about a year. 

How did you first learn about PORCH? 

I learned about PORCH through my friend, Carol Lucas, who has a deep passion for the organization. Carol is a volunteer shift leader, and at the time, was looking for a co-lead for the Food for Pantries program and non-perishable sorting and packing shifts at Extraordinary Ventures, and so she reached out to me. I was hooked and quickly developed a passion for this organization as well.  

Why does PORCH’s mission resonate with you? 

I am extremely passionate about PORCH’s mission because access to healthy food can be challenging, and I believe it is an absolute necessity for families with children. Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of donors in our community, PORCH is able to help alleviate food insecurity by providing fresh, healthy food to those in need. 

What would you say to someone thinking about getting involved with PORCH? 

We LOVE our volunteers – please come join us! PORCH was founded by a group of extremely passionate women and that passion has carried over to every volunteer I have had the pleasure to work with. You will have an opportunity to meet the most amazing people who share similar values and care deeply about PORCH’s mission to alleviate food insecurity in our community.

You are in your first weeks on the job, but what have you really enjoyed so far as you’ve gotten your arms around this new role? Tell us some highlights! 

In my new role, I have seen the process of a monthly PORCH distribution in its entirety and am amazed by what this organization is able to accomplish over the course of a few days every month. Starting with the generous non-perishable donations that come into our sorting facility from our neighbors’ porches, to the bountiful boxes of fresh produce, eggs, and milk, to the volunteers that make all of this happen, and finally being able to see the smiles and gratitude on the participants’ faces when they come to pick up their food, it is a truly rewarding experience. I am so proud and honored to be a part of this organization.