Fannie Johnson has spent a lifetime committed to serving others.

Growing up in a small town she describes as “a community where everybody helped each other,” Johnson has proudly served her country in the United States Army, designed a job training program for the homeless and spearheaded a cultural program pairing youth with professionals and community leaders to shape their future and careers.

As executive director of L.O.V.E’s Kitchen, Johnson has furthered her commitment to serving others by providing sustenance to clients of the local soup kitchen – not only with a hot meal but also by equipping them with the tools to better their lives.

“There’s a proverb that says, ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ That’s what we want to do for our clients at L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen,” Johnson said. “We help them, but we also want to help them help themselves.”

The local soup kitchen serves 50,000 meals annually – 200 meals daily (breakfast and lunch), Monday through Saturday – to the city’s homeless, as well as others facing hardships. In addition, L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen works with organizations such as the Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels, Feed by Faith and local churches to feed the city’s hungry. And, L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen provides a number of other services to clients: clothing, scheduling job interviews and locating job opportunities, laundry services, tutoring, shelter and other countless needs.

“It is such a blessing to know that I get to help somebody every day,” Johnson said. “Like everyone, I have life challenges and obstacles. But no matter what I’m going through or how tired I am when I get home, I can tell myself, ‘Somebody’s inside tonight. Somebody’s got a full stomach tonight. Somebody went back to class or to work.’”

Former L.O.V.E’s Kitchen board member the Rev. Dr. Tom Sikes said he is inspired by Johnson’s mission for the needy.

“Fannie is the perfect combination of being wise and sensitive, realistic and hopeful,” said Sikes, director of Missionscape Outreach. “She has served this community with servant leadership that is willing to go low to bring L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen clients upward.”

Holley Speed Davis, who nominated Johnson for Junior Auxiliary of Meridian’s 2015 Humanitarian of the Year, commends Johnson for her passion.

“L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen is not just a job to Fannie,” Davis said. “She really cares about the people and does so much to make their lives better. And that’s not only at L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen, but also through her work in other organizations.”

It is for these reasons and more that Fannie Johnson is The Meridian Star’s 2017 Citizen of the Year.

Service to community 

and country

Born in the small town of Triplett (about 17 miles from Louisville), Johnson is the sixth of the seven children of Everette and Mamie Johnson. Johnson attributes her spirit of giving to her parents, who were more than willing to lend a hand to neighbors – even something as simple as using the phone.

“We still had the party line back then, and everybody in our little town didn’t have a phone. So mama would let people come over and use ours,” she said. “My mama did people’s hair and daddy had a truck, so if someone needed to go somewhere he would take them. We didn’t have a lot. But what we had, we shared. Everybody in the community helped everybody.”

Johnson had no professional career goals when she graduated from Louisville High School in 1980 (“I wanted to be a great wife and a great mother,” she said). She joined the military that same year and served until 1984, when she was honorably discharged. She later served as a reservist and government employee/contractor. As her life evolved, Johnson continued to serve others.

“After I got out of the military, I volunteered with Army Community Service. And when I lived in Washington, my church family would go into the community and feed the homeless during the week. We would prepare the food, load it up in our cars and go downtown to serve them,” she said. “People helping people – that’s what being part of a community is all about.”

Reaching out

with L.O.V.E.

In 2008, Johnson began work at L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen as director of kitchen operations. A year later, she was appointed executive director.

Although her relationship with most of the soup kitchen’s clients is on a first-name-only basis, Johnson said she soon began to develop a bond of trust with many of them.

“As the clients got to know me, they realized they could talk to me about almost anything and ask me for whatever they needed,” she said.

Johnson realized there was a better way to not only meet the needs of the community’s homeless, but also those with jobs and undergoing life situations: Outreach.

“It’s in our name: Lauderdale Outreach and Volunteer Effort. That’s what Judge Billy Neville founded L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen on: that everyone who enter our doors will be fed, regardless of their circumstances,” she said. “We realized that people would give them better clothes, people would help them with their resumes and help them study for their GED test. The businesses in town would invite them to interview and give them a chance at a job – if we just ask.”

With the approval of L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen Board of Directors, Johnson began to network through community outreach – joining organizations, serving on boards and volunteering with other service-oriented organizations.

“I was asked to serve on the EMBDC Board and started going to Business Before Hours and Business After Hours, which introduced me to a lot of business people. And then I got involved with United Way and started to network with people from all walks of life. Through these contacts, we have established a strong network that we can depend on for help in addressing a variety of needs.”

While many soup kitchens across the country are struggling to meet the demands of its clients, L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen is an exception. The soup kitchen’s pantry is continuously stocked through the generosity of food donations from residents, as well as restaurants, catering businesses and other food entities.

“When L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen needs something, this community comes together and provides it. All we have to do is to let it be known what we need,” Johnson said.

And those needs go beyond food.

A local organization recently donated a washer and dryer to the facility. Homeless clients who are employed, have a job interview or doctor’s appointment will be given first priority in having their clothes washed at the facility.

“They’ll drop their clothes off that morning at breakfast time to be washed by one of our formerly homeless clients we’ve hired to work 20 hours a week at the soup kitchen; as a result, we’ll increase his hours to 25 or 30 hours a week. And depending on the number of loads, they should be able to pick their clothes up at lunchtime or later that day,” she said. “Once their clothes are taken care of, we’ll wash the rest of our homeless clients’ clothes.”

The washer/dryer donation prompted another contribution from a young resident who saw Johnson on television talking about the local soup kitchen, and also wanted to offer her help.

“Her mother told me she had been saving her money to buy an iPod, but decided she wanted to donate her $111 dollars to help us,” Johnson said. “So we’re going use that money to buy laundry bags.”

While volunteering at the recent Kentucky Ham Meal at First Christian Church, Johnson shared the story about the girl’s donation.

“Several women from the church collected $111 to give to the little girl so she could still buy her iPod,” Johnson said.

The soup kitchen’s old washer and dryer will be donated to Care Lodge.

“We have to look out for one another,” Johnson said. “They (appliances) still have some mileage and may be useful to someone at the shelter who is having to start over, but doesn’t have a lot of funds.”

Once the washer and dryer have been set up, Johnson said two showers will be installed for client use.

“We’ve got some architects doing the groundwork to put the showers in the back of L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen,” she said. “And the first priority as far as using the showers will be the same as the washer and dryer. So they should be able to take a shower 2-3 times a week.”

And, Johnson said, the soup kitchen’s part-time worker may eventually become full-time.

“Or, we can bring another homeless person in and give them a part-time job,” she said, adding, “And all of this is possible through our outreach and networking.”

Always ready

to serve

While feeding the hungry is the ultimate mission of L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen, Johnson said it’s also important the soup kitchen prevents food waste, as well as become more cognizant of the nutritional value of the meals. Thus, adjustments have been made to compensate: instead of two plates, each client receives one large plate with an entree, plus more fruits and vegetables.

Johnson said the adjustment has affected the soup kitchen’s total number of plates served. However, that is the least of her concerns.

“Our goal is to make sure nobody is hungry, not that we serve as many meals as we can,” she said. “We’re feeding our clients larger plates with more food and healthier food. They not only aren’t hungry, but their overall health will also benefit.”

Johnson said through the efforts of Feed By Faith, the Salvation Army, local churches and L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen, the city’s homeless are provided three meals each day.

“A few years ago, we made an arrangement with the Salvation Army where we send our clients there to eat dinner. If it gets to where those clients are eating up the Salvation Army’s budget for food, we give them any surplus we may have,” she said. “On Sunday mornings, a local church leaves breakfast for the clients, and on Sunday at lunchtime, several churches take turns providing sack lunches in the parking lot of L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen.”

While the needs of the city’s homeless and those experiencing temporary hardships are being addressed, Johnson said would like the soup kitchen to better serve another population: senior citizens.

“A lot of them can’t get to us; I’ve struggled with a way to try to do that,” she said. “But then we have to be careful because many of them are on special diets. That’s where Meals On Wheels comes in, and we don’t want to take anything away from them. In fact, we partnered with them several years ago during Christmas. Their volunteers came to our kitchen and we packed a special meal, along with a Bible and present for our seniors. I’m going to figure out a way though where we can do something for our seniors more often.”

So focused on serving others, when Johnson recently won a national contest, her first thought was how it could benefit L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen and Meridian. Although unable to provide details about the award, Johnson said her goal is to use it to change attitudes about Mississippi.

“There’s so much negativity about our state; I want to change that,” she said. “I want people to know just how loving and giving we are, not only to each other but also to people everywhere.”

Former L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen board member Cassandra Sloan said Johnson’s tenacity and love for helping others are constants, and many lives have been touched by her generosity.

“She exudes an energy that is both inspiring and motivating, and one can clearly see that she cares deeply about the people that she serves daily,” Sloan said. “Fannie is committed and very passionate about the work she does. She is truly a servant who loves helping others.” 

Upon learning she had been named The Meridian Star’s 2017 Citizen of the Year, Johnson expressed disbelief. In fact, “Stop playing!” was her initial response.

Once she realized she truly was being honored, Johnson paused, then said, “When I look at all the people who have been recognized for this award before me who I am now joining, I can’t help but wonder, ‘How am I on the same list?’ But I guess as they say, ‘Whatever you do, do it the best you can.’ I hope that I am serving others at my best.”