Nothing lasts forever.
Change is inevitable.
And for Tammy Kassinger, the time is now to pursue other endeavors.
Kassinger has been the administrator at Northside Nutrition for nine years, after spending the previous two as a bus driver.
But nothing is forever as Kassinger is headed south to Dauphin Island, Alabama.
After dedicating her life and career the past 11 years to the well-being of others in the Poplar Bluff area, she now has been called to tend to the southern wildlife.
“It is a little island that is a bird sanctuary,” Kassinger said. “The sea turtles nest on the island.”
Kassinger’s husband, John, has been in Alabama for the past three-plus years while she continued her unbridled dedication in making sure meals were distributed to those in need.
During COVID, nearly 600 meals per day were distributed. And that number has decreased of late to approximately 400.
Volunteering, though, is what has pulled at her heart strings the past few years.
“I plan on volunteering and joining the turtle team,” she said. “You go out and search for turtle nestings. You mark and protect them until they hatch, and you get to observe that, also.”
The island contains a sea lab, which is home to the volunteers.
“That is what I plan to do while I figure out what I want to do down there,” Kassinger said. “Eventually, I will get a job. I don’t know what I will do, but I am going to start out volunteering.”
The idea of the island has been on Kassinger’s mind for quite some time, she said.
“We have been going to Dauphin Island for about 12 years,” she said. “We always knew that was a place we wanted to be. Three-and-a-half years ago, my husband took a job in Mobile, (Alabama.).”
While Alabama has been on her radar, the love of her job at Northside Nutrition had put a halt to those plans … until now.
“I love my job so much (that) I have stayed three-and-a-half years with him down there. The last time I traveled, with fuel prices, it cost me $550 round trip to go down there. It is just time to go, and I knew eventually I would be there,” she said.
But saying goodbye to her colleagues and customers has not been an easy transition.
“I love this job so much, and it was hard to leave,” Kassinger said. “I am still really torn about it.”
Andre Brown, who has worked as the primary cook for nearly 16 years, said Kassinger’s ability to relate to people made her a dream boss.
“Before she got (to Northside), we were only feeding about 85 people. We had about 60 people in-house. We had more people coming in than we were delivering. She was a good boss. She is a friend, and we were friends first, so when she became the boss, she always wanted to keep us friends. She was a really good boss,” he said.
One of Kassinger’s strengths was her ability to do whatever the position required.
“She would come in and do it herself if someone missed work. She would do it for you,” Brown said. “I do not know how she did it. She is a people-person. She would get out and deliver with us in the rain.”
In late July, the staff had a traditional send-off for Kassinger, complete with gifts and a card, which created the water works.
“It makes me cry because I love them so much,” she said.
Feeding people made the job one that dreams are made of.
“I was always concerned about making sure everyone had something to eat. I just loved it,” Kassinger said. “It was a job that made you feel good; that you were making a difference.”
Kassinger made sure to leave her imprint upon the business, which has tripled in size during her tenure.
The business has been a family affair for decades as Kassinger’s grandmother, Millie Harrison — who currently is 100-years-old and suffers from dementia — once served as a volunteer.
And Kassinger’s grandfather, Gerald Harrison, once was a board member who met his soon-to-be wife at the business.
“There is history there,” Kassinger said.
While Kassinger has made her exit, her replacement has hit the ground running.
Emily LeMaster has taken over after six weeks of training under Kassinger’s watchful eyes.