Former Storehouse Executive Director, Lee Maynard, passed away in June. Lee is fondly remembered by Storehouse staff, volunteers, and clients as he held the leadership position for longer than any director at the Storehouse.
Originally from Crum, West Virginia, Lee served in the United States Army, after which he returned to West Virginia University to complete his undergraduate degree in journalism. Lee was also a successful author.
After various government positions, Lee made his way to New Mexico where he served as the Storehouse Board President, and later the executive director. He said of his time at the Storehouse, “I got totally absorbed in my non-writing life… and became totally dedicated to feeding the hungry. I don’t do it because people say, ‘oh, you do this wonderful thing.’ I do it because there are hungry people. I didn’t grow up hungry. There was always food in Wayne County because you grew it. There wasn’t much of anything else, but there was always food. When I see people, particularly kids, that are hungry and I know they’re hungry, then I think what the Storehouse does is extremely worthwhile.”
The Storehouse team, volunteers, and everyone connected to our organization realize how much work Lee Maynard put into the food pantry and how much he cared about people in our community. He will be greatly missed, but his work and his legacy will always remain a part of the Storehouse.