Tracy Kihm | YWCA Women of Excellence
TK: What inspires you?
TRACY: I continue to be inspired by the staff of Family Service and Guidance Center. We all had to change how we work in order to continue to serve our clients. The staff of FSGC rose to the challenge of the national pandemic, going above and beyond to meet the needs of our clients and their coworkers. Every day I am in awe of the hard work they do and the creative ways they meet the needs of our clients. I am proud to play a small part in the life changing services provided by FSGC.
TK: What have you learned about yourself through the challenges of the past year and a half?
TRACY: I have always believed that I am a strong, independent woman and to a certain extent that I can do it all myself. Through the challenges of the pandemic I learned that I need people. I need their help and their hugs. In the early months of COVID I was spending the majority of my day working on FSGC’s COVID response and making sure we could keep our doors open. This forced me to start delegating tasks from my “regular job”, and to learn that it is okay to ask for help. Probably the hardest part of COVID for me was the loss of human interaction. I couldn’t hug my kids, coworkers, or friends. I’ve learned that I really need hugs and handshakes.
TK: How do you take care of yourself?
TRACY: The past year and a half has been especially challenging at work. Early on in the pandemic, my husband took over grocery shopping and cooking to give me more time to focus on FSGC’s COVID response. This allowed me to come home and relax for a little bit every night. To maintain balance, I spend time with my family binging Netflix, playing games, and going to the lake. I also started Weight Watcher’s last year and have focused on healthy eating and weight loss/getting in shape. So far I have lost a little over 40 pounds.
TK: What is the best advice you've ever been given? Or what advice do you have for others?
TRACY: The best advice I have received is actually a quote from Tom Hanks character Jimmy Dugan in the movie A League of Their Own. Whenever I am struggling with a difficult task I remember his words, “It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great.” I really believe this to be true and have shared this advice with many coworkers and friends.
TK: What is your vision for our community? Has it changed through the pandemic and racial justice reckoning of 2020?
TRACY: My vision for our community is a place where we all care for each other and treat everyone with dignity and respect. A place where everyone’s needs are met including access to housing, healthcare, food, and crisis services. With all that happened in 2020, I believe this is more important than ever. I feel that solving the problem of affordable housing is the most important thing we can do to positively impact many of the other issues facing our community. Many community members with severe and persistent mental illness are homeless or precariously housed. If they could maintain housing I believe they would become more stable resulting in improved physical and mental health, be more likely to obtain employment, and have fewer encounters with law enforcement and the hospital emergency department. Ultimately they would have a better quality of life and the overall cost to the system would be less. Additionally, studies show that children whose parents receive housing assistance benefit from better nutrition.
TK: The mission of YWCA is to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. What does YWCA's mission mean to you?
TRACY: The mission of YWCA aligns with my vision for our community. I feel that by building relationships and caring for our neighbors we can work together to build a community where everyone is empowered to live their best life.
The YWCA is on a mission to empower women at all stages in their careers. Diversity in leadership is particularly vital to our vibrant business community in the Greater Topeka Area.
