Rising Stars: Meet Melly Kinnard

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melly Kinnard.

Hi Melly, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My first career was as a social worker at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center and Camp Zama, Japan. Both were during the Vietnam War. My final social work job was on the oncology unit at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans. This was before the days of hospice care.

For 23 years, I had my own business, Get Organized! I traveled as a speaker for state dental associations, 11 interior design centers in the US, Merrill Lynch, Lucent Technologies, etc. Illness ended this second career.

Denver Rotary and the Nathan Yip Foundation are my main activities. Nathan was adopted from an orphanage in China. During his freshman year of college, he was killed in a car accident. His parents, Jimmy and Linda Yip turned their grief into building 6 orphanages and two schools in China. They started a foundation that supports education in rural Colorado with grants totaling $250,000.00. I am the president-elect of the board.

Snuggling babies in the NICU (newborn intensive care unit) at Children’s Hospital is an example of getting more than I give as a volunteer. For fourteen years, I volunteered at Porter Hospice Residence. I have the privilege of snuggling babies as they enter the world and very ill patients as they pass.

My garage is the donation and distribution center for three shelters: St Francis Center (450-500 guests daily), Denver Rescue Mission, and Aurora Day Resource Center. It’s quite social since I get to meet the donors when they ring the doorbell at my garage.

As a student, I lived in Florence, Italy for a year which changed my life. I begged my way into the program since I was in college to socialize rather than study. I got a four point in Florence. Every class was meaningful since I knew I was going to experience art and history throughout Europe. I haven’t stopped traveling since then. My phone recording says “I’m out finding an adventure.” Every day is an adventure.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As painful as divorce was, it gave me a chance for rebuilding myself. I love my independence!! I have incredible nurturing friends.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My proudest accomplishment is my daughter, Kelly, who works far too hard for a venture capital company in California.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
People in Denver are open to meeting and including everyone. My Lowry neighborhood is an example of welcoming new residents and inviting them to the constant round of parties.