FA L L 2 0 1 7 17 where people and serve their neighbors. That means a lot.” Mary is a native of Tarentum, across the Allegheny River from New Kensington. She met Kevin, who was born in Baltimore, while they attended Towson University. They moved back to Pittsburgh and have been married for 30 years. Kevin has worked for Northwestern Mutual for 30 years, the last five as a retirement plan- ning specialist, and says part of the motivation for the project was to spur economic activity.   “It’s an area that needs a lot of help. Most former steel towns do, but New Kensington needs it more than most.” For Phil Koch, who heads The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, where Kevin is a member of the advisory board, it was the couple’s personal commitment that stood out. “Kevin and Mary have been willing to lay their own time and treasure on the line for the development of New Kensington and the people living there,” Koch says. “It was the investment they were making personally in the region. They didn’t wait to get foundation dollars to start; they went on their own.” The Bodes have committed more than $100,000 to the Café, with The Pittsburgh Foundation committing $100,000 over two years and the CFWC contributing $35,000. To underscore the redevelopment commitment, the couple sold the dream home they built 11 years ago and bought a smaller house down- town while Kevin relocated his offices to the Café building. “We have come full circle to where we started in New Kensington 30 years ago,” Kevin says. “When you think about the blight that exists on Fifth Avenue, that level of investment is significant,” Koch says. “The Café not only addresses issues of food insecurity, it demon- strates that ingenuity and commitment can bring a neglected space back to life.” By Maddy Rice | communications intern An order is up for Zack Hegedus, who spent a day volunteering at Knead Café through the CFWC’s summer philanthropy internship. KEVIN BODE