Although Rachel Van Dyke loves to cook with her husband, she’s quick to point out that he is “without a doubt the more skilled cook” and she is happy to be his sous chef and wash the dishes. In the cold, dreary days of December, they’re crafting a lot of curries, braises, and stews, and, of course, ramping up their holiday baking.

Rachel, who connects mentors with young people with Migration and Refugee Services, also enjoys walking around her neighborhood and thrift shopping. “I’m a sucker for the thrill of a good deal.” Some of her favorite finds include a mirror from ReStore and dining room chairs from Eyedia. She says you will often find her at Eatz Vietnamese, the Wine Rack, and Rebecca’s Consignment Shop.

When she’ not our searching for great deals, Rachel enjoys reading fiction, practicing yoga, and dabbling in creative writing, as well as “grandmotherly activities” like hand embroidery and knitting.

She enjoys writing creative non-fiction, like stories about family and growing up, and would like to try her hand at fictional short stories, too. She majored in writing and Spanish at Asbury University but does not write creatively in Spanish because “that’s just too hard.”

Because her mother is a music teacher, Rachel has done a fair amount of performing in public in community theatre, at schools, and with church worship teams. “I grew up performing a lot. To this day, I feel more comfortable singing in front of a large group of people than speaking.” She would like to be part of community theatre again, “just for fun,” even though auditioning “is intimidating for sure.”

Before joining Catholic Charities, Rachel worked with different non-profits, including Backside Learning Center and as an ESL instructor in Shelby County. What does she like most about working at Catholic Charities?

“I like walking down the hallway in the ESL school and hearing all the English classes going on. I love getting to meet families from all over the world and learning from the other members of the Youth Team, who are each very gifted caseworkers.”