For Pam Meredith helping others in her community is not a job but rather a passion.

Meredith grew up in New Orleans, LA. After graduating from high school, she took what she thought would be a summer job with an insurance company. However, that “summer job” turned into twenty years. Her career in insurance led to her moving to cities all over the country, including Dallas, Minneapolis and New York City.

It was during her time with the insurance company that Meredith met her husband. The two happened to discover Baldwin County, Ala. by just driving through. The couple decided to settle there because the area was half the distance from where each of their parents lived.

Meredith became a regular volunteer with Ecumenical Ministries in 1992. After serving in that capacity for many years, Meredith was offered a job as the director of the South Baldwin district. Ecumenical Ministries is a non-profit organization that reaches out to individuals in need through a variety of programs such as emergency aid, food pantries, Meals on Wheels, home repair, community development, prescription assistance, Emmy’s Thrift Shop and the annual Chili for Charity fundraiser. Ecumenical Ministries of South Baldwin currently has two other employees as well as 30 volunteers.

Meredith recently celebrated being with Ecumenical Ministries for 20 years. For her, the past two decades have been very rewarding, and she feels like she’s working with an incredible program. “There is never an adjustment for an individual Ecumenical Ministries can’t make and they are always willing to help,” Meredith says.

She also gives much of the credit for the program’s success to an “extremely generous” community.

When asked about retiring, Meredith says she plans to one day, but for right now her main focus is on helping those in need this holiday season.