June Kim says that being UMCOR's Executive Secretary of Hunger/Poverty is the job of her dreams, though she arrived by a very circuitous route! In college, June majored in studio art. Afterwards, she worked for a Wall Street investment firm and then Columbia University Teacher's College. She finally found her way to the General Board of Global Ministries in 1996, working with Asian American Ministries. In January of 2000, June became the Executive Secretary for Program Management of UMCOR's Emergency Services and moved into her current position one year later.
She said, "When I was child I would watch all the marathon programs and advertisements on television that were raising money for children who were hungry. I would try and figure out how much I could save each week to help. I always wanted to work for the church and do humanitarian assistance, and now I have this job that combines them into one. I am thankful every day for being here."
June facilitates the hunger/poverty program for United Methodists, working with annual conference hunger coordinators and local churches to raise awareness about hunger/poverty issues. The importance of networking-- making a connection between people in churches and people in projects whose combined resources actively work to overcome hunger and poverty-- is critical. Making links between individuals, groups, and resources for fighting hunger is key. June also maintains a connection with UMCOR's partner organizations, such as Bread for the World and Foods Resource Bank, and communicates with dozens of UMCOR Advance projects, gathering reports and interpretive materials and releasing funds.
One of the rewards of her job is that she loves people and enjoys her colleagues-- at UMCOR, at the boards and partner agencies she relates to, and in the churches. When asked what she most wants people to know about her job, June said, "I want them to know how important development is to eradicate hunger and poverty. We can't just provide famine relief. We have to give the time, dedication, and resources for long-term development."
June loves traveling, music, painting, foreign languages, fishing, crabbing-- and rollercoasters! June emigrated from Korea with her family when she was seven years old, and she hopes someday to be able to provide orphans in Korea with whatever they need-- love, shelter, food, education, and opportunity.
Photo: June and Elton, the son of a local pastor in the Mozambique UMC, enjoy a visit.
