Rachel Got Support After a Stunt Gone Wrong
Rachel Hoffpauir kicks ass. No, really - she’s a stuntwoman for local TV and film. When she’s not training and working on stunts, she works as a server in Virginia Highlands.
Rachel started working in restaurants about five years ago, right after graduating from college. In her words, being a server is “a quick, easy way to support yourself. I’ve grown to love it because of my own love of dining and food and beverage. It’s kind of like I can make money at my hobby while I pursue this other crazy career.”
In July 2019, Rachel was in a training session for said crazy career when she separated her shoulder. She found herself in a sling for about six weeks and was unable to work at full capacity.
“It was a very uncertain time for me, and my operations manager told me to reach out to Giving Kitchen for some assistance. I was initially a little hesitant about it, but it ended up being something that I'm very, very glad that I did.”
Rachel received financial assistance from GK to cover one month’s rent and utilities. “GK gave me a peace of mind during a very scary time where I was dealing with a lot obviously physically but emotionally in terms of not being able to support myself and also pursue my career and my goals. Without it, I would’ve had a lot more anxiety during that time, for sure.”
To others who may need help but are hesitant to ask for it, Rachel wants to encourage them to “just do it.”
“I think there are a lot of people who have a hard time asking for help, and I think getting over that is the number one thing. And even if you're wondering if you really qualify or if your need is enough, I say, ‘Just do it.’ You never know what can happen.”
After six weeks, Rachel recovered from her injury and was able to train and work like before.
Now in the midst of COVID-19, Rachel - along with the rest of the world - is facing a new set of challenges as both the restaurant and film industries have come to a halt. “All film and TV production has been shut down for the foreseeable future.” Rachel says that her restaurant has been operating as a takeout business, so she’s been fortunate enough to work on the team during that process. “We've been very lucky and very successful with our takeout business, so I'm very, very grateful for that, and for the team there getting themselves together pretty quickly and being able to be adaptable.”
Since her recovery, Rachel donates to Giving Kitchen as part of our Pass the Hat fundraising program, where donors set aside a portion of each paycheck to be donated directly to GK on a recurring basis. She says, “I'm very happy to be a part of the Giving Kitchen family and to continue to support you guys as you support the people that I work with and love.”
What started as a flexible and easy means-to-an-end job has become a community for Rachel, and Giving Kitchen exists to support her and this industry which provides stability, comfort, and community to so many. Cheers to Rachel for passing the hat and epitomizing the spirit of Giving Kitchen!
Giving Kitchen was there for Rachel when she needed us most, and GK will be here for other food service workers like her in the future.
Support them by giving to Giving Kitchen today.