We’re thrilled to introduce you to the newest member of our staff, Kathryn Fairhurst! 

Kathryn (you can also call her Katie!) is the Human Resources and Economic Empowerment Assistant. 

Kathryn moved back to the area with her husband and two children in 2022 after living in Scotland for 10 years. (More on that below!) They discovered Common Heart during the Great Turkey Countdown and delivered Thanksgiving meals with us last year.

“I was just in awe of what a phenomenal organization this is and all the good it does for our community. I knew when I saw the job posting, I wanted to be part of it,” Kathryn said. “I never knew there were so many behind the scenes processes and procedures that needed to be done to keep Common Heart functioning. There have definitely been a few learning curves on my part, but what is best is that everyone here has been so friendly & helpful. I couldn’t ask for a better team of people to help me as I learn and grow here.”

Kathryn’s parents volunteer with a food pantry in Bluffton, SC and she said “I just love knowing I, along with my whole family, are giving back in the ways that we can. I cannot wait until I have been here long enough to know all the volunteers names & faces by heart. The team is already starting to feel like my family away from home. I look forward to many more laughs.” 

She’s mom to two “wild yet funny and loving kiddos” and her husband is from Scotland. The family have a Cavapoo named Maisie and are currently fostering a Havanese pup for a local dog rescue. They also have a cat, Kiwi. When she’s not rescuing animals, cooking, or being a chauffeur for her kids, Kathryn enjoys reading and shopping online at Amazon or Target.

Now more on her adventures in Scotland! 

I met my bonnie husband at a wedding in 2011 and in 2012 I moved across the pond to Scotland. We lived on the west coast of Scotland, in a town called Bishopbriggs which was just outside Glasgow, for 10 years. During that time we bought our semi detached house (as most are there), had 2 weans (children), one of which looks typically Scottish with pale skin & bright red hair, while the other screams American with his easily tanned skin, blonde hair & his love of American Football (vs Soccer Football), and I worked for another charity organization called Sense Scotland. 

I learned to adapt to hanging our washing outside on the washing line daily, while continuously checking the weather. I developed a love for haggis and fish pie, drank more hot tea than there is water in Lake Superior, and carried a brelly (umbrella) most days, as it typically rains at least 170 days out of the year. However, you have never seen green grass and fields (and all the millions of sheep that eat it) like you do in Scotland. Just gorgeous! 

What I loved most about Scotland though was the tradition of putting the kettle on for tea, getting the biscuits (cookies) out, and having a blether (chat) with a friend or two. I met the loveliest of people there.  I cannot wait to go back this summer. I am getting my wellies (rain boots) ready! 

Welcome, Kathryn! You can reach her at 704-823-6813 or Director.Assistant@CommonHeart.org