Colleen Konetzke, like many Americans, was adhering to shelter-in-place guidelines at her home in Houston in mid-March, working remotely while taking precautions against the threat of a coronavirus pandemic.
On one Thursday evening, Konetzke was on her computer when a co-worker’s e-mail arrived. The message sought assistance in helping Houston-area medical personnel and restaurants affected by the pandemic.
Konetzke’s nature has long been to do her share when it came to community service, but as she read the e-mail, she had doubts about how she and her colleagues could help doctors and nurses on the frontline of treating a deadly virus. She also wasn’t sure if it was financially feasible to launch a fledgling organization when the nation’s economy was headed for a downturn.
A former Reagan High School swimming standout, Konetzke found clarity after a few hours of sleep.
“I was like, ‘You know what, I will help,” Konetzke recalled. “I had no idea what it would turn into. I had no idea it would get that big; that we would do almost any of what we did. I’m really glad I did.”
In consultation with some co-workers at Bain & Company, a global management consulting firm, and Sarah Watson, a special education teacher in Houston, “Feed the Front Line” was created. The program purchases meals from restaurants, allowing them to remain open, while feeding frontline medical workers during the COVID-19 crisis.
At last count, “Feed the Front Line,” a 501(c)(3)-filed Texas non-profit, had delivered 48,411 meals and raised $661,915.
“We wanted to be able to use our time and talent to help others during this time, knowing that COVID was something that probably was going to be affecting us for a long time,” said Konetzke, who won gold in the 500-yard freestyle and bronze in the 200 freestyle at the 2012 UIL Class 6A state swimming championships and later had a standout career at Texas A&M. “What was so awesome, and terrifying, but also so overwhelming, in a good way, was that so many people trusted us with their money. I wanted to make sure that we handled it the right way, and we did what we said we were going to do.”
Looking back, Konetzke is surprised by how efficiently and effectively everything came together. In only a month, the charitable organization ascended from being an idea, to providing as many as three meals daily to medical personnel working long hours at as many as six hospitals.
The 26-year-old Konetzke, a senior associate consultant at Bain & Company, played a pivotal role behind the scene. She was in charge of finances, helping file for tax-exempt status through the Internal Revenue Service and setting up an online payment platform. The company was up and running within 10 days and has grown to where it offers meals to students who might go without because of school closures. It also expanded its reach in the restaurant industry, including “spreading the love” one week by putting its focus solely on helping black-owned eateries.
“We don’t necessarily have any talents or gifts that could directly help someone with coronavirus,” said Konetzke, who recently resigned her position because of an increase in workload at her job (she can work between 60 to 80 hours a week) and an impending move to Chicago to attend Northwestern University and begin work toward a master’s degree in business administration. She is still involved with the non-profit. “But using the time and talent that we do have, and being able to use that to serve others, is a completely different high. It was like a dual mission, where it benefited both parties.”
Sarah Gibson, 25, has known Konetzke for more than a decade. They first met when Gibson’s parents were meeting with coaches about a community swimming program and Konetzke walked up, introduced herself, and began a conversation.
It comes as no shock to Gibson that her former Reagan and Texas A&M swimming teammate played an integral part in helping others during a trying time. The fact that the effort benefitted those in the medical field made it even more endearing.
Gibson’s parents are physicians, and she plans to attend the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas this fall after earning a master’s in public health this summer from Texas A&M.
“It’s very her,” said Gibson, a U.S. national team member who was preparing for this summer’s Olympic Trials before the coronavirus outbreak. She said she’s still considering another attempt at making the Olympics in 2021. “Whenever somebody in the community reaches out a hand of support for our medical workers like that, it meant a lot to me before, but now that I’m entering this profession, it’s even more touching.
“She went out of her way and recognized there was a need here to get these people fed so they can function, and there’s also a need for these restaurants to keep workers employed. I thought it was brilliant. She always had a knack of always bridging those gaps. She’s able to step out and do these things. It speaks a lot to her character.”
Terrence@terrencesports.com
Twitter: @sa_terrence1