April 7 will bring a long awaited resource to the town of Summerton and surrounding areas, and a realized vision to Kathleen Gibson.
The K&H resource center has been the years-long dream of Gibson, and it is finally coming true. A place where community members can “get the tools and help they need to succeed,” K&H will see it’s grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony set for 2:00pm that day.
Gibson attributes much of her philanthropic attitude to her father.
“My father was a trailblazer in this community,” said Gibson. “I kind of feel like I’m following in his footsteps.”
Gibson remembers her father as a man that anyone could come to with any problem.
“People would come to him and ask Mr. Henry for this or ask Mr. Henry for that, and he would help them,” said Gibson. “Well, I’m not Mr. Henry, but I’m the closest they are gonna get since he is gone.”
Her father had so much influence on her life and the way she is that she dedicated half of the new resource center to him.
“That’s why this place is named K&H,” said Gibson. “K is for Kathleen and H is for Henry.”
Gibson donated a lot of the money to have the building refurbished from her 401(k). This wasn’t done out of a need for recognition, but for a simple need to benefit her community.
“A lot of my retirement is in this place, and I won’t make a dime from it,” said Gibson. “But I don’t care. It makes me feel so good that I will be able to help them.”
The resource center is certainly Gibson’s biggest venture so far. She has headed up multiple donations and fundraisers, and volunteered wherever she could. However, this is an entirely different beast, one that draws on all aspects of her giving nature.
“This place is me in a nutshell,” said Gibson. “This resource center should have been called resources unlimited.”
Gibson sees herself as the unlimited resource.
“I am the walking resource,” said Gibson. “If I don’t have the answers, I know how to get people the answers.”
The resource center will offer a variety of help to citizens of Summerton. But make no mistake, this is not exclusively for citizens of Summerton, or Clarendon for that matter.
“Whenever I do anything, I don’t put a limiter on it,” said Gibson. “I don’t hand out boxes of produce and only allow senior citizens or citizens of Summerton to receive it. If you need help, I don’t care how old you are or where you’re from or what you look like, just come on.”
Gibson will also help with job applications, college applications, housing, food donations, and any- thing that comes across her desk. Like she said: if she can’t help you herself, she can find someone that can.
“This is the type of person I am,” said Gibson. “If you ask Kathleen to do something, Kathleen will get it done.”
While this is a community resource center, Gibson also sees it as a call-to-action. Gibson wants to see other members of the community take the helm and start giving back. She fully believes in the pass-it-on philosophy.
“We can not be asking people to help us, we have to help ourselves,” said Gibson. “I want people to see what it means to be good, decent humans. If we all throw a hand in and help each other be successful, we can climb this ladder together. I mean, could you imagine what this world would be today if we all helped each other?”
The resource center will open with a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 7 at 2:00pm with a community cookout to follow. Masks and social distancing are required. For more information, check out the flyer above.
