Kelly Kling
The hardest goodbyes are always to the things we love. For Kelly Kling, leaving the Strongsville Emergency Food Bank after six years as a volunteer and 16 years as coordinator is one of the hardest things she has had to do.
“It wasn’t an easy decision to make,” she shares. “I love my volunteers; I love my clients — it’s like one big extended family.”
A lifelong resident of Strongsville, Kling grew up surrounded by hard workers who prioritized taking care of one another. This led to her volunteering at the Food Bank. Now, over two decades later, she’s ready to focus her care-taking efforts on her husband and two kids.
“The heart of taking care of others has always been in me,” she says. “But it’s time to put my family in front and take care of my own.”
Kling’s legacy will still be felt through the food bank’s expanded impact in the community. She has helped it grow to include more programs for its clients, including presents for children during the holidays as well as work with the schools and local police department.
“This community really comes together to show up and help out,” Kling says. “With a good community, amazing volunteers and [incoming coordinator] Ursula Kaunas, the food bank will be in good hands.”
Ursula Kaunas
The word “retirement” is often associated with relaxation and leisure. When Ursula Kaunas retired after 25 years in government and 23 years from her position as senior IT project manager in Cuyahoga County’s Department of Information & Technology, she did all those things but still found herself wanting more.
“I just got bored,” she laughs. “I came to the conclusion that rather than just retire, you retire to something.”
Enter: the Strongsville Emergency Food Bank, which presented Kaunas the perfect opportunity to stay busy and do something she loves: giving back to the community. She started as coordinator of the food bank on April 1, taking over from predecessor Kelly Kling.
No newcomer to volunteering, she’s helped out in her local homeowner’s association, served as a councilwoman for the city of Olmsted Falls and worked at the Beck Center for the Arts, where she’s found herself surrounded by like minds and hearts.
And, she’s discovered, the clients, volunteers and Strongsville community are all dedicated to making sure the food bank runs smoothly and with care.
“Everybody is kind, and everybody has compassion for our clients,” Kaunas says. “I haven’t met anyone who’s associated with the food bank who doesn’t have that mindset.”
Looking forward, Kaunas is going to apply her project management skills to the food bank and make sure all of the dollars and donations are spent well. Whether it’s repricing some of the grocery goods (based on shopping for the best pricing) or working to renew impactful programs such as the backpacks for children in need, she’ll continuously evaluate to make sure the food bank remains a pillar of the community.
First up on her to-do list? Getting to know all the faces and names. With over 100 volunteers along with a multitude of clients, Kaunas is up for the challenge.
“It takes time, but it’s time and investment that I want to do, because everybody here is super important,” she says. “We get to know our clients very personally, and that is what makes people keep coming back.”
