Aaron Kinzle gives his parents, Steve and Frances Kinzle, all the credit. And that spirit — never one to bask in the spotlight, and always ready to lend a hand — is yet again true to Aaron’s form.
“It’s pretty rooted in me,” reflected Kinzle, who at 41 years young stands ever at the ready to help others. “Even in middle school, I would volunteer to help with the Farmer’s Market and highway cleanups. That comes from my mom and dad. I’ve always been a giver.”
Kinzle’s life is a quiet one, his days spent mostly with his partner Mitchell Ewy and their two cats. But this Thanksgiving, as nearly every long-standing holiday tradition now wobbles under the pandemic, stories like his are a welcome reminder of the best in us.
Kinzle is a regular volunteer at Sunday Soups, which, true to its name, is a soup kitchen open to all who would like a free meal. It operates the last two Sundays of every month.
“I started in 2017 as a plate-scraper,” remembers Kinzle, “back when we had family dinners” at the Presbyterian Church. “Now, I help mostly with prepping, cooking and packaging.”
His dedication boils down to a genuine interest in people. “I meet somebody new every time, and that keeps me inspired to keep going,” said Kinzle. “In a matter of three hours, we put together and deliver 100 meals. A lot of our regular attendees have a definite need for a meal. It’s very satisfying to be able to help.”
Sally Huskey, who oversees Sunday Soups and is a longtime member of First Presbyterian, said, “I’ve known Aaron since he was a little boy at the church.”
longtime member of First Presbyterian Church of Iola.
“He and his younger brother used to play the chimes at church. I’ve watched him grow up. He’s always wanted to help, either washing dishes or doing whatever. Aaron’s quite authentic. You ask him to do something and he always says, ‘I’d be glad to.’ That’s just the way he is.”
In addition to his volunteer efforts with Sunday Soups, Kinzle is also a regular helper with Rotary Club of Iola’s recycling program. He often teams up with Rotarians Dan Johnson or Karen Gilpin to pick up cardboard on a Saturday morning, “to feel like I’m part of the community and the greater good.”
KINZLE wasn’t always so enmeshed in Iola’s community, though. As a teenager, he was focused on getting out of town. The day after his high school graduation, he moved to Florida. That spurred several years of restlessness, with time spent in Connecticut, Tennessee and Chicago, in addition to Florida.
He moved back, he says, to be close to family. Plus, he laughs, “my family was getting tired of Florida vacations.”
Back home, Kinzle and Ewy seem to have found a pleasant rhythm to life in Iola. When asked what gets him out of bed each morning, Kinzle lingers a moment. “Beautiful days like today,” he remarks, as if the answer were obvious. One more chance to make a difference.
