Even though Sondra Mehler has been at Catholic Charities since September 2018, she’s worked for the Archdiocese for nearly 10 years. Before coming here, she was executive secretary for the Office of Multicultural Ministry, a job she loved because she believed in its mission and was always running from one event or even city to another. Having young children at home, though, prompted her to look for a position that included fewer after-hours commitments.

“Coming to Catholic Charities felt a little like going back there,” Sondra said, because of CCL’s focus on social justice and diversity. As office manager here, Sondra does everything from processing new employees to covering the front desk, from setting up interviews to depositing checks, and from processing donations and mailing thank you letters to keeping up the postage and copy machine counts.

When she’s not working, Sondra spends time with her grandchildren, Azariah, 6, and Kyro, 2, who can easily make her do things she doesn’t want to do. Recently they dragged her to a fall festival at St. James where her granddaughter, Azariah, attends school on “one of those days when you kind of have a headache and it’s raining and you just want to be home and turn on Netflix. But then my little grandbaby says, ‘Please, Mimi’ and I say, ’Yep,’ and get dressed and go.”

Sondra is engaged to the love of her life, Corey, whom she’s been with for almost 20 years. She has three children, a daughter Cierra, 24, and two sons, Lashaun and Marquis, 17 and 15. Both attend Fern Creek High School. Her oldest son, Lashaun, plays football at Fern Creek and plans to become a mechanical or electrical engineer. They just spent last weekend applying for colleges. Her youngest son, Marquis, is ready for a job and has been applying and setting up interviews. Her children are her passion as they bring her the most peace, happiness, and laughs. In their household you have to be “able to take a roasting,” Sondra said. “It’s a tradition for us to joke with one another and laugh together.” They normally gather for Sunday dinners at her in-laws house every week.

Sondra’s interests in addition to her family include shopping – “who doesn’t love Walmart?” – or, more precisely, bargain hunting. Her favorite spot is TJ Maxx. She “really loves” tacos and when asked her favorite place to get them she laughs and says, “Tacos. Any tacos. I really love tacos.” She loves to watch Family Feud and thinks a team from Catholic Charities could probably win the fast money as long as she is on the team, and encourages everyone to watch the reality show Married at First Sight on Lifetime.

One of the things Sondra likes best about working at Catholic Charities is being able “to be there” for people who call, whether employees or clients, because “I’m going to be a very sensitive, empathetic person who wants to help.” She enjoys being in a support role as she likes to help and be of assistance to others as much as she can. She shared a time when she was able to assist a client who was looking for services not offered at CCL and because of her life experience was able to lead the client to help. At the same time, she laughs, some people might be surprised to know how empathetic she is because she has a “get it done” personality and “I don’t take anything off of anybody.”

Sondra is a survivor of childhood abuse and doesn’t mind sharing that to encourage others. “Overcoming that trauma isn’t easy, you know. You deal with it every day.” She has a real passion for children and would like to one day adopt a child in the foster care system to be able to help them. Sondra says she shares her past because, “you never know who this article might speak to and they’ll reach out and want to share.”