Sharon Holmes recently celebrated her 25-year work anniversary with Catholic Charities. Today, she is the Director of Food Pantries and manages a team of nearly 50 staff and volunteers, but her first job with the organization was as a driver, shepherding mothers who were in substance abuse recovery to appointments and other errands.

Even though she felt compassion for the mothers she served, it was when she started working at Catholic Charities’ Saint Sabina Social Service Center that Sharon realized she was in the right place. “Before, this was just a job, but at Saint Sabina, I learned why I was here. I realized this is what I want to do. It felt like it was divine purpose.”

With the support of her mentor, Sharon Tillmon, she set out to learn everything she could about the center’s programs, “I worked in the pantry, helped with financial assistance, processed SNAP applications … I wanted to wear all the hats,” she says.

She asked a lot of questions, listened, and prayed constantly. “I started to understand what people were experiencing and how I could help them learn and grow.”

In the years since, Sharon has gone on to manage programs across Cook and Lake counties. But no matter the role, she refuses to compromise on her purpose. “When I visit our pantries, I roll up my sleeves and get to work alongside my team to show that we do this work with smiles and gratitude. I tell them, ‘How does it make you feel to give out a bag of food to someone? Our visitors help us just as much as we help them.’”