Prater named new director of Kilgore's Helping Hands
By KATHRYN MARTINEZ news1@kilgorenewsherald.com

SUSIE PRATER

Susie Prater, formerly of Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services and, earlier, the Community Crisis Center, is the new director of Kilgore's food pantry, Helping Hands.

"I am excited to be here," Prater said. "Caring is second nature to me and this is the perfect place for me to help the community."

While at Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services, Prater worked as a case manager and performed a multitude of tasks geared toward assistance to young families and grand parents caring for grand children.

"In that position I was able to help people with their needs directly, or direct them to services to meet their needs," Prater said. "We gave away a lot of beds and blankets;, and assisted with bill paying."

Before that, Prater was volunteer coordinator at Crisis Center where she supervised volunteers and educated the community about abuse, the abused and the kind of help a battered person may need.

"What it boils down to is caring about people," Prater said. "If nothing else, I have experience in caring."

Prater said she has enjoyed her work at Helping Hands.

"So far, so good," Prater said. "I love what I do, but I couldn't begin to do it without the volunteers. They are great."

Prater said she is thankful for a supportive and dedicated board.

"Mary Helen Craig, our board president, and Jerry Hurt, our vice president, are both very hands-on," Prater said. "They do a lot to help out around here."

Prater said Helping Hands does have a wish list.

"We need diapers of all sizes and we are almost out of baby food," she said.

Other items on Prater's wish list for Helping Hands are baby wipes, juice, canned and dry goods, volunteers and monetary donations.