Most Impactful Volunteer

Kathy Crow seems to know everyone in this community, which is no surprise since she’s lived, worked, and served in Jefferson City all her life. But when you ask her to highlight how she’s personally made an impact with her numerous volunteer activities over the years, she says nothing about herself and points only to the great works of others.

Crow, who retired from Central Bank last October after 45 years of service, learned from her father at a very early age the importance of giving back to the community. Her father, Nick Raithel, owned Nick’s Homestead in Jefferson City. Even as a busy restaurant owner and a devoted father to 12 kids, he still made volunteering a priority in his life, including at church and through the Knights of Columbus.

Crow has continued that family legacy over the years. She’s served in leadership roles for the Downtown Jefferson City Association, including being part of starting Thursday Night Live and getting new sidewalks downtown. She’s also served as a board member of Boys & Girls Club of Jefferson City and gave greatly of her time to help with fundraising events like Men of the Club. Crow spent many years also serving as the Salute to America chair. While the volunteer list keeps growing, Crow is quick to share the blessings and the credit.

“Volunteering is so gratifying — I get more out of it than I give, including being part of something you can see good come out of,” says Crow. “The bank always gave me time to volunteer, which is so important. Businesses need to realize the impact of allowing employees to do that.”

Crow’s impact stretches across many community organizations, but her time and fundraising are always focused around one common theme — keeping it local. She notes the importance of keeping those dollars here in our community to make a greater impact right where we live. It’s the love of this community that fuels her.

“We all have a stake in making this community successful. We can’t just put it on a few people. It’s so important that people step up, because your kids and even grandkids will benefit someday,” Crow says.

While she could be putting her feet up after retiring, Crow is instead doing what she does best: serving others. She’s starting a new role in January with the Boys & Girls Club to help them maximize the potential of their volunteers. She’s excited about these next steps in her journey to provide greater help to kids in our community. Crow is definitely a gift that keeps on giving (even if she’ll never take any of the credit).

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