There is no way to quantify the good that Kim Riggs has done for her community in the last eight years.
You could try to count up the people like Ilona Standridge, who credits Riggs with helping her and her three children rise from a low point in their lives, when they were living out of a vehicle parked along the Carson River.
But what of the thousands of other students and their parents who also benefited from Riggs' passion as homeless advocate for the Carson City School District? For example, she started a community shoe drive seven years ago to outfit hundreds of needy students in the district each year, and has helped families with other needs including clothes and school supplies.
The people Riggs helped didn't always come to her. In fact, she frequently went looking for them, whether they were living in motels or tents, or in a single-parent family.
Many of the shoes she gave out are now worn, but we hope the lessons that went with their giving live on and that many of the students and their parents will carry it forward.
The message she sent is that one person who is able to turn their compassion into action can make a great difference in a child's life. Riggs did that over and over, and her work will radiate for years to come. Carson City owes her a debt of gratitude.
Riggs is leaving her post to take a job with the Division of Child and Family Services.
Jeannette Famoso-Ardinger now takes over as homeless advocate and we wish her well in her quest in helping those in need who might otherwise be overlooked.