RICHMOND, Va. β Vicky Hester was someone who made a safe space for others when there were few to be found. Her legacy of kindness will now continue in a food pantry that bears her name.
Hester owned Babe's of Carytown for decades β one of the oldest lesbian bars in the country. She died this week at the age of 71 after a battle with cancer.
People who knew Hester say her support for the LGBTQ community went beyond the walls of Babe's. She also donated hundreds of dollars of food each week to the Metropolitan Community Church of Richmond's food pantry, where she was a member.
She had been involved in the food pantry for nearly 10 years.
"She knew that the important thing was not to be reassured that she was loved because she knew that, but instead to carry on the things that she cared about, to be able to make this community closer knit and more able to engage in mutual aid and sustainability," Leia Troop, assistant coordinator at the pantry, told CBS 6.
Those who work at the food pantry say they plan to continue Vicky's legacy and mission by continuing to make sure that every person has a safe place.
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