Meet the Volunteer- Catie Loy

In our first post of our meet the volunteer series, we'd like to introduce Catie. Catie Loy is the reason why we have such a beautiful logo and professional looking flyers. She is on OBAB's steering committee as our Secretary/Treasurer. Read on to get to know her and why she loves volunteering for OBAB.

I was born in Salem, Oregon, raised in the Salem/Portland area until moving to the Empire neighborhood in Coos Bay at 4 years old. I can vividly remember crossing the NB bridge and loved looking up at the beams. My family rented housing, never buying, so we bounced between living in both Coquille and Bandon until my early teens, moved to Brookings, then Central Oregon, and back to Coos Bay in my late teens, and I've been here ever since.

I am happily married to an amazing man, Ken, who came into my life when I was giving up hope on love, and nearly, life. He motivates me to be my best self. We've been together for 8 years and married for 2 ½ years. We are currently pursuing our goal of home ownership and look forward to making our dreams come true.

I am a graphic designer and production manager for the local weekly paper - the South Coast Shopper, and have been with the company for nearly 18 years! In my free time I love to cook, watch/read about true crimes or watch documentaries, play video games when I can catch a break, travel, and spend time with my husband.

My life has improved greatly in the last 8 years as I worked on my mental health, so I was ready to do more for others. I was seeking for local volunteer efforts that would effect change in a great way. This area has changed since I was a kid, and I want to make it look and feel better, today. My involvement with OBAB began when I saw the first project for a park cleanup. I came to the cleanup and the energy with everyone was so good and refreshing - I knew this was something I could continue to do, and make an immediate impact. It helped ease some of my anxiety - to get out and do something, and to meet like-minded people. I eventually reached out to the group about publicity, and then later on they asked for my help in design work. I helped them create a logo and not too long after I was approached about joining the steering committee. I accepted and enthusiastically helped with design, digital elements and tools, brainstorming, and organizing to help the group.

I envision many things OBAB has the potential to do. I would love to see our community have beautiful landscaping, more murals and sculptures, less trash, a beautiful and welcoming Empire neighborhood and boardwalk, and to also inspire community members to tackle beautification efforts in their own home and yard.