When unexpected hardship strikes, food is often the first urgent need, and the one that connects us all. In Northeast Arkansas, Andrea “Dionne” Kain has made it her mission to make sure no one faces that need alone. As the founder and director of Brenda’s Table, she leads a small but mighty nonprofit that provides temporary emergency nutrition aid to individuals and families in crisis.

Through events like the annual “Show Them Where You Come From” food drive and the Community Holiday Meal, Dionne and her volunteers feed more than just stomachs, they feed hope, dignity, and belonging. Her leadership style is equal parts grit and grace, reminding everyone around her that compassion doesn’t require perfection, it just requires showing up.