About Us
Who Are We?
The Generations Food Pantry began in 2017 with the goal of helping those struggling with food insecurity in the Northern KY area. As one of the first organizations to partner with Freestore Foodbank in Southern Kenton County, we were able to provide food to around 70 families each month. When the pandemic began in 2020, the need for food and other services intensified, and we started to dream about how we could increase our capacity to distribute food and utilize new community partnerships to expand our services beyond food to meet the needs of our community in more robust ways.
In January 2022, Generations GROW Network, Inc. “GROW” was launched, and our mission was expanded beyond food to include education and recovery. Shortly thereafter, increasing inflation and deteriorating economic conditions resulted in an even greater need for GROW’s services. In June 2022, we were able to provide food to over 350 families, and we expect the need to continue. We remain a fully volunteer organization, driven by love for our community and the desire to meet their needs.
Board of Directors
Dr. Carson Castleman
Carson is a community board member for the GROW Network.
President - Patrick Hardy
Patrick Hardy is the Lead Pastor of Generations Church, where he is dedicated to helping people discover their full redemptive potential in Christ. He is blessed to share life with his wife, Alyssa, and their daughter, Savannah, who bring joy and inspiration to his ministry. A graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University, Patrick is currently pursuing a Master’s in Missional Multiplication at Olivet Nazarene University, further equipping him to serve the church with vision and purpose. Outside of ministry, Patrick enjoys cheering on Boston sports teams and spending time with his beloved bulldog, Brady.
Vice President - Jake Stremmel
Jake’s vision for providing food to those in need became reality in late 2016 when Generations Food Pantry was formed as a “choice” pantry and opened in January 2017. Since that time, Jake has been integrally involved in the growth of the food pantry at Generations with grant administration, food ordering, fundraising, and capital improvement projects at the food pantry. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the weekly distribution of food transitioned to a drive-thru service where it reached a peak of over 400 families or almost 1,500 individuals weekly. Jake holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and works as a transportation engineer in Cincinnati for a global consulting firm. A resident of Union, KY, he and his wife stay busy with raising three children.
Treasurer/CFO - Brandon Westmark
Brandon has worked in the financial services industry since 2005 as an actuary for a leading Cincinnati insurance company. He has served in various roles with responsibilities in risk management, financial analysis, business planning, accounting, contract negotiation, and insurance pricing and has worked in a managerial capacity since 2015. Brandon currently serves on the board at Generations Church of the Nazarene and has served on its Finance Team for many years. He formerly served as the Treasurer for Generations Church and on the Finance Team of Covington First Church of the Nazarene. He is a passionate follower of Jesus and loves his family, church, and community. Brandon lives in Independence, KY with his wife and 2 boys.
Executive Director - Dawn Cook
As a Northern Kentucky native, Rev. Dawn Cook has passionately served the Church and the community, as Children’s Pastor since 2006. In 2021, Dawn became the Executive Director of the G.R.O.W. Network helping this non-profit organization to grow further into the key initiatives of food, education and recovery. She also continues to support adult students seeking to further their education, as an academic advisor at Indiana Wesleyan University, where her care and knowledge has helped students reach their goals for over the past decade. Dawn is an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene, and holds a Masters degree in Management. Dawn and her husband, Brian live in Hebron, Kentucky. Together Dawn and Brian have raised 3 children and now have the privilege to enjoy many grandchildren.
Secretary - Patty Smith
Patty has been a member of the Nazarene Church for over 50 years and currently serves in the GROW Network Food Pantry as well as the church nursery. She serves as the Secretary to the GROW Network Board of Directors and is a member of the Children’s Department Leadership Team. Patty resides in Independence, KY with her husband Dennis. They have 3 married children and she enjoys being a stay at home Grandmother of 3. She is a passionate follower of Jesus Christ and loves her church family.
Community Board Member - Carson Castleman
Dr. Carson Castleman is a veteran in Adult Education and is the Vice President of Student Experience and External Relations at Indiana Wesleyan University. Dr. Castleman holds a B.A. degree in Communication/English, a M.A. in Religion and Counseling, a M.S. in Human Resource Management, and a Ph.D. in Education and Leadership. Dr. Castleman’s research interest are in the areas of human resource management, emotional intelligence and adult learning. Dr. Castleman is a certified Myers Briggs Indicator Trainer, a Strength Finders Coach. Dr. Castleman has supervised the development and care for over 12,000 students annually in graduate, and undergraduate programs on multiple campuses and online. He also established the international programs and manages external partnerships for Indiana Wesleyan University. His area of expertise are human resource management, partnerships, organizational development, curriculum development, and student retention. Dr. Castleman in married to Dr. Angela Castleman a public-school Principal and has two children.
Community Board Member - Michelle Henderson
Hi! I’m Michelle Henderson, and I’m grateful to be on the G.R.O.W. E-BOARD. I am originally from Dayton, Ohio, but moved to the Northern Kentucky Area for college. I have my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Northern Kentucky University, and I’m currently employed as an Assessment Worker with Hamilton County Job and Family Services. I’ve been a caseworker for the last 2.5 years, and love my job! I’m excited to see what the G.R.O.W. Network can do for the community, and I’m honored to be a part of the impact it will have!
Community Board Member - Schuyler Gray
Schuyler Gray takes great pride in all her students and holds them all to the same high educational standards. She has been teaching at Camp Ernst Middle School for the past four years. She has spent the past two years coaching the school’s cheerleading team with tremendous success, attending national competitions in Orlando the past two years. Additionally, she has served as team lead and served on the Site-Based Decision Making Council for two years. Last year, she represented teachers for the Boone County School’s Strategic Planning Committee. She majored in Middle Grades Education with a focus in Science at Northern Kentucky University. Presently, she is enrolled in her Masters degree in Principal Preparation at Northern Kentucky University. Her aspirations are to become a school administrator as well as a future district administrator.
Community Board Member - Nathaniel Sizemore
With over a decade of professional services experience, Nathaniel serves as Sr. Vice President and General Counsel of his family’s company, Sizemore & Company LLC, and leads the Premier Resources Group (PRG) and PRG&Me divisions. Under Nathaniel’s leadership, the organization grew to national prominence, developed a national and international client base, and maintains a reputation as an elite staffing and advisory services company in a variety of industry sub-sectors. Before joining Sizemore & Company, Nathaniel served as a construction attorney with a large law firm in the Washington, D.C. metro area, where he represented owners, contractors, and subcontractors in all aspects of public and private development projects. Nathaniel lives in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, with his wife and three children, and is excited to work with the G.R.O.W. network to support the Northern Kentucky community.