Missouri’s Hannibal. After 20 years with NECAC, Gwen Koch is leaving the organization.
When Koch learned of a position opening at NECAC, she was working in real estate and knew nothing about the organization. She was aware that it was an opportunity to change people’s lives.
It’s not always easy to explain why you feel compelled to do something, but you know it’s the right thing to do even if you don’t know anything about it. Koch stated in a news statement. That’s how it was, and now I’m twenty years later.
Koch describes it as a fulfilling and humble work that has changed my life.
According to Koch, working as a coordinator has given me the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives in ways other than just money. I’ve had the opportunity to engage with people and families personally, sometimes just by listening to them. It’s an unfathomable feeling to have had the chance to be the one who can change their lives.
In 2005, Koch became the Ralls County service coordinator for NECAC. After the organization was obliged to consolidate activities due to a delay in federal funds, she was let go in September 2011. Five months later, Koch returned to Marion County as an intake assistant, and in September 2012, he was appointed Marion County service coordinator.
Koch has worked on projects including the Project Community Connect homeless count, assisted with the Toys for Tots program, and created services like a diaper distribution and a gift of Christmas stockings. Being a facilitator at poverty simulations held across the 12 counties of NECAC makes her especially pleased.
Hearing how the encounter affects the participants is eye-opening, Koch added. They now have a better awareness of the assistance that struggling families require as a result of that emotional experience.
For the past 20 years, it has been a privilege to actively represent this institution and its goal. I sincerely admire the new leadership, which values its staff and is encouraging and upbeat. I will miss being a part of NECAC, and retiring is a bittersweet experience.
