Kathy Izard

Kathy Izard is an award-winning author and speaker who helped raise over $85 million in Charlotte for homelessness, housing and mental health. Kathy worked in advertising and graphic design for twenty years in before launching Homeless to Homes for the Urban Ministry Center (now Roof Above). Between 2008-2012, she co-led the city-wide effort to build Moore Place, Charlotte’s first permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless men and women. 

After Moore Place opened in 2012, Kathy worked on numerous civic projects including leading the development campaign for HopeWay, Charlotte’s first nonprofit residential mental health treatment center which opened in 2016. She wrote about these efforts in The Hundred Story Home which received a Christopher Award for inspirational nonfiction and she has since published four additional books for adults and children.

Kathy is the recipient of the Bank of America Neighborhood Hero Award, the NC Housing Volunteer of the Year Award and recognized as a William J. Clinton Distinguished Guest Lecturer. Her work has been featured on NPR and the Today Show inspiring people to be changemakers in their communities. Woman of the Year 2022.