Volunteer Appreciation Month: Amy Grimm

We all need reminders of the kindness in the world. For folks in Kentucky, you don’t have to look far. Just head on base at Fort Knox to see what Red Cross volunteers do for military families. Amy Grimm leads with a servant’s heart and wakes up with a mission in mind. She is the Helping Hands Warrior Warehouse Lead and Creator. Helping Hands is a Red Cross program available to provide food, household items, and clothing to assist military families with a financial need.

“I started volunteering with Red Cross 8 years ago, helping with Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) and casework,” said Amy. She then had a brilliant idea that has changed lives. “The Helping Hands location had to move. I asked the Fort Knox football team to come help… I used to run football and baseball boosters,” said Amy. She spoke to the Red Cross SAF Region Director, May Giulitto. “I said ‘what do you think about the Airman’s Attic? It’s a thrift store for the young and listed… What do you think about starting one for the Army?”

May and Amy brainstormed about what to call the new location. The name “Warrior Warehouse” was born, and the journey began. “This could be our groundbreaking thing. I grabbed my volunteers and said, ‘hey let’s start this thing,” explained Amy. As people moved, this was a great place for them to drop donations of furniture and clothing. “It turns into blessings for someone else who doesn’t have anything,” said Amy.

Amy and her fellow Red Cross volunteers help sort and process donations. The last Thursday of the month, there’s a free shop for active-duty military members. The last Friday of the month is open to Veterans, retirees, and dependents. The last Saturday of the month is their “yard sale” open to the public for anyone who can get on base. The team accepts cash donations for the Friday and Saturday shops.

Any funds raised by the shops goes back to support the Fort Knox American Red Cross Soldier Support Program. This includes services like the Helping Hands Food Pantry, Santa’s Workshop, Candy Cane Lane, the Loan Closet, and more. “It feeds my soul because I can give back,” said Amy.

One family Amy helped was moving from Alaska. They had 3 kids, 2 dogs, an SUV, and a trailer. They wrecked in North Dakota. “On the Fort Knox spouses page, the wife posted… She said I can’t get ahold of my command. I need uniforms, boots, and some items for my kids,” said Amy. “Their SUV was totaled. They were not able to recover items… We were the in between. We had [the items] ready to go by the time they arrived. We set this family up for success even though they just had the worst week of their life.”

It's hard work and long days, but Amy and her team love what they do. “It’s what wakes us up. Every one of our volunteers gets up and says: who can I help today and who can I serve?” Amy emphasized that her husband is her main support and cheerleader. They have been together 14 years and he reminds her to “[volunteer] until it’s not fun anymore.”

When she takes breaks and steps away from base, Amy loves to travel and go on hikes. She recently hiked the Appalachian Trail. Thank you for your volunteerism, Amy! We know you have touched the lives of many. 

Interested in learning more about our SAF work on base? Go to redcross.org/kentucky. Follow the Fort Knox Warrior Warehouse Facebook group at: Fort Knox US WarriorWarehouse