THE LOCAL LIFE

Elisabeth Silverthorne

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BEACH FOOD PANTRY

Photo by Cory Godwin Story by Amelia Boldaji

THE SHELVES ARE STOCKED AND NEATLY ORGANIZED according to the official government MyPlate nutritional guidelines – grains to the left, with veggies, fruits, proteins and dairy farther toward the back. At the Beach Food Pantry in Kitty Hawk, helping people navigate a client-choice-based selection of food in times of need is about understanding both their individual health needs and tastes. Or as Executive Director Elisabeth Silverthorne puts it, “We call it shopping, because it is – you just don’t have to pay at the end.”

And being a part of one of several local pantries that’s committed to alleviating temporary food insecurity, feels somewhat like a calling to Elisabeth, whose background is a bit of a winding road that seems to have slowly brought her to the exact place she was meant to be.

How did you begin working with nonprofits?

I was at American University in Washington, D.C. when I decided to go to law school, and they had a Community and Economic Development Law Clinic that allowed me to get practical training working exclusively with nonprofits. I saw it as a way to marry my business background with community service and then adding that law piece in – which really appealed to me. It let me bring all of my knowledge with me, but still keep getting better and better…while also doing good in the world.

What sort of work did you do when you first moved to the Outer Banks?

I graduated in 2003 and moved here in ‘04 to study and take the bar exam – I thought I was only going to be here three months, but now it’s been 16 years! [Laughs] I found a job at a law firm and started doing some work as a contract attorney, but it got to the point where I was traveling all week and only coming home on the weekends. So I kind of put it out to the universe and made a deal: I said, the first job I get, I’m going to take it. Turned out it was with the Dare Education Foundation as their executive director.

How did you wind up at the Beach Food Pantry, and is it a good fit?

For me, education changed the entire trajectory of my life, because in the end it’s all about opportunity – but after seven and a half years with Dare Education it was time for a change. Then the Beach Food Pantry board called to see if I was interested in a position here, and I’ve just loved it. We’re an emergency support net, and I encourage people to call the office for any reason at all – even if it’s not food related, or we’re busy, I want to help. Law is a long game, but with this, you know you’re helping, you see it every day.

What’s your favorite part of being here at the Beach Food Pantry?

I’m the queen of asking people to help someone else, and I think when you do that and it works out, it reaffirms our connection. I always say that we don’t make or sell anything here – if something’s on these shelves, our community provided it. And that just reminds you how good people are. So I really and truly love the people here all the way around – the donors, the clients, the volunteers…it’s extremely humanity affirming. Because it may sound simplistic, but we all need hope. We’re all pilgrims traveling together on this journey, and if there’s hope for tomorrow or a better day – and I absolutely believe there always is – you keep moving and you find a way to push through. It’s all about how we care for one another.