While most softball players have been confined to their houses during this time of stay-at-home self-isolation thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, infielder/outfielder Kate Westmiller, a sophomore at Marysville (Michigan) High and a member of Turnin2 15U – Marra Premier/National team has been active in helping serve those in her community.
Kate’s father, Justin Westmiller, is the Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for St. Clair County, Michigan which is located northeast of Detroit in what is considered the “Thumb area” of eastern Michigan and his 15-year-old daughter has been active in volunteering her time to help her father wherever needed.
From the onset of the pandemic, Kate—who is on the County Youth Readiness Committee—has been volunteering her time working at the Homeland Security Warehouse to stage and distribute their stockpile of emergency personal protective equipment (PPE).
“Right now, I am helping out doing things like sorting, organizing, and preparing the personal protection equipment for first responders, hospitals, doctor offices, nursing homes, and other local agencies in the county,” Kate explains. “Usually I go and pick up donations from local schools as well.”
In addition to her volunteer work, Kate’s father tasked her with writing a COVID-19-related sheltering program for the county’s homeless population. Her plan was so impressive, the County adopted it and is in the process of implementing the strategies she helped devise.
“With the shelter starting soon,” the student-athlete says humbly, “I have put together individual hygiene bags and, starting next week, I am going to be working alongside the social media team to gain a different perspective and help wherever else is needed.”
Kate’s work in the community hasn’t been limited to help those fighting the Coronavirus, however; last month, she spent time in the field investigating issues related to shoreline flooding at Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair river which set a single-day record with water levels reaching 578.6 inches (over 48 feet), breaking an all-time county mark going back to 1986.“On Sunday, March 29th after the weather died down,” explains Justin Westmiller, “Kate accompanied me on a damage assessment in the southern end of the county taking photo evidence and talking to residents to validate the damage of the windstorm that day.”
With high school softball being cancelled this spring, the infielder has had more time to volunteer. Normally at this time, she is a dangerous lefty hitter for her Marysville Vikings team and as a freshman helped the school win its first district championship in a dozen years as she had three hits and an RBI in the title win.
A 3.94 student-athlete who was 1st Team All-Conference in softball and also runs varsity cross-country and plays JV basketball, Kate’s goal is to play collegiately somewhere on the East Coast. While sports is on hold, though, she’s found a lot of other positive activities to fill up her time.
Kate started on the County Youth Readiness Committee not long after her father became the Director of Homeland Security in February of 2019. As a student representative for her high school, she has been instrumental in helping them grow their representation, as well as take part in many of their video and community activities.
“She constantly is looking out for others and giving back to her community. whether it is on student council, YRC, volunteering with youth sports or doing a myriad of other activities,” says her father.
“As soon as school was canceled, Kate asked if there was anything that she could do to help, and the warehouse where personal protective equipment was being shipped in and out for front-line healthcare workers and first responders was being managed, came up. She jumped at the opportunity and since that day has worked more than 30-plus hours sorting, organizing and shipping more than 20 pallets of PPE.”
The multi-sport standout says her volunteer work has opened her eyes to how people in the community can help those in need.”
“I have learned so much about the humanity of others,” Kate begins. “I am just one of the many volunteers to help the real heroes during this time. Being in the warehouse I have seen many of the big manufacturers such as Ford, Toyota, and Chrysler producing things like gowns, safety glasses, and even face shields.”
“I have seen people give what little they have (Clorox wipes, hand sanitizers, masks, and even ‘thank you’ cards) and this shows me that humanity and kindness prevails. Regardless to how someone is helping—whether it is volunteering, donations, or staying home— everyone has a part to play and every part is essential… just like in softball.”
“Kate is a fantastic daughter, wonderful person, great student, and outstanding neighbor and community member beyond her years,” her obviously proud father states. “The plan she wrote for sheltering and mass care for the homeless was entirely her document that we took info and questions from and helped drive our conversation and plan. It’s crazy that this came from a 10th grade, 15-year-old, but she created the entire document and it shows that our future is in fantastic hands.”
Kate says the opportunity to serve others has impacted her in many ways.
“It has made me aware of how big the world actually is,” she marvels. “For the longest time, softball was the thing that filled my heart with the most joy and when that was taken away from me it was basically a wake-up call telling me that there is a much bigger picture than just being a small part of the universe which is athletics.”
“It is about all of us coming together to create a sort of unified community. Don’t get me wrong—softball is still the love of my life—but in order to get this back we have to have passion for other things.”
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
