In the 1990s, Ginny Ramsey was doing what she calls "peace and justice work" at the Cathedral of Christ the King when Mayor Pam Miller called, asking her to bring together churches from throughout the county to develop a welfare-to-work plan. Disability and food stamp programs were being cut at the time, and the mayor anticipated an increased need for food and shelter.
"We brought together 128 churches and held town hall meetings with those who'd been affected by the cuts in order to develop an appropriate plan," Ramsey explained.
After meeting so many of the people involved with the project, Ramsey said she became drawn to work with them to bring together support networks that could make a difference in their lives.
In June of 2000, Ramsey and Judy McLaughlin co-founded The Catholic Action Center (CAC). Based on the Catholic Worker Movement started by Dorothy Day in the early part of the 20th century, CAC is a faith-based outreach of volunteers who work to provide a welcoming place where the poor and hungry can meet their basic needs with dignity. The center has no government funding, relying solely on volunteers.
"Three meals a day, shower and restroom facilities, mail receipt, a telephone, clean clothing and a place to gather are all a part of the hospitality offered," Ramsey said. Since its opening, the center has served more than three million meals and sheltered more than 98,000 people.
Ramsey can be found making the rounds at Starbucks and other food stores and restaurants in town each day, gathering food for those in need. She said she doesn't have a job - she has "Öan opportunity every day to meet folks who have lost their connection with everyone, who have been turned away and disenfranchised by society. When they begin to trust us to care about them, they share their sacred stories and learn that there are still people who care. There is so much goodness in people, wherever they come from."
Before starting the Catholic Action Center, Ramsey was a wife, mother and tax accountant, first working with firms and then as a freelancer during tax season. As a child, she grew up showing horses, playing golf and swimming at the Country Club - far from the streets of inner-city Lexington.
"I never even drove down Fifth Street until 10 years ago," she said.
"Sometimes there are easy fixes - giving them food and shelter, a chance at a new life, dignity and being part of something," Ramsey said. "It's about giving hope to the hopeless."
Ramsey's biggest challenge is creating compassion for people who have fallen through the cracks of our society.
"We need to break down the attitudes about the 'undeserving' and 'deserving' poor," she said. "I want to give people an opportunity to be involved and find out for themselves what this work is about."