Cathie Peacock came to Tuolumne County by accident.

“I thought I was headed toward the town of Strawberry off Highway 50, which I loved,” Cathie remembers about her first trip to Sonora in 1978. She was traveling from the Bay Area for a job interview at Sonora Community Hospital, looking for a wholesome place to raise her three children as a single mom. Lucky for all of us, Cathie fell in love with Sonora anyway and took the job. She has poured her heart into serving the Mother Lode ever since.  

As the Executive Director at Interfaith Community Social Services, Cathie leads a team of over 150 volunteers, serving thousands of local families each year by providing an array of resources including food, clothing, job training, legal assistance, pet care and much more.  

“Our mission is not about drop-in donations,” she explains. “It’s easy to just give people things, but that’s no big deal. It’s really about how we can best help and teach rather than just give. About guiding people and connecting them to resources that help them discover the potential in themselves.”  

Leading Interfaith is the natural culmination of a career centered around service to people in times of tragedy and hardship, including decades of volunteer work with the Red Cross, responding to disasters including 9/11, the Oklahoma City bombings, the Loma Prieta earthquake and more.  

In Cathie’s work, there are many difficult days and setbacks. When asked what keeps her going, she points to a sign hanging in her office that reads: “This is my happy place.”  

“All of us have had problems in our lives,” Cathie says. “And maybe we had someone ask how we were and offer to help. I know that feeling, and so does everyone at Interfaith. When you can help someone feel like they’re someone, and see them changing and discovering themselves, that’s what serving others is about.”  

Locally, Cathie has had a hand in dozens of programs and activities benefiting the health and well-being of the community. She helped found the Tuolumne County Health Fair, served on the committee to start Tuolumne County Youth Soccer and continues to organize the Community Christmas Eve Dinner each year. She serves on innumerable committees and coalitions, including the WATCH Advisory Board, Tuolumne County Opioid Task Force, Tuolumne County Homelessness Task Force, Adventist Health Sonora’s Community Advisory Board and many more.   

“I don’t know how to sew. I don’t know how to paint,” Cathie jokes. “The community is my hobby.”