What is your full name?
Victoria Doulos York

What is your profession?
I’m a freelance editor, but since my life revolves around Manna Café Ministries, I’ll call that a “career” as well.

Where are you from originally?
Chicago, Illinois.

How long have you been in Clarksville? What brought you to Clarksville?
I’ve been here since last April. In fact, it was just a few days before the flood.

Tell us about your family.
I have several families. There’s Kenny and me—we’re a little family. Between the two of us, we have four grown kids, three kids-in-law, and four grandchildren. Then there’s our Manna Café family.

What do you like most about Clarksville?
I love the charm of the downtown area. I also really enjoy the Greenway, some of the local restaurants (especially Kori, Blackhorse, and Old Chicago), and the people of Clarksville.

If you could have any other profession/dream job what would it be?
English professor or paleontologist.

What is your favorite meal?
I’m married to the best cook in town, and there are several meals that he makes that send me over the moon. But if I had to pick one food to eat for the rest of my life it would be sushi—I absolutely love it.

What is the easiest and most difficult part of your job every day?
Concerning my day job, the easiest part is editing for an author who cares about the material; if a book has substance, it’s a pleasure to tweak and polish. The most difficult is editing for an author who just wants to collect a paycheck and therefore the book is lifeless.

When it comes to Manna Café, the easiest part is interacting with the people, both our clients and our staff and volunteers. The most difficult part is the relentless pace. There always so much to do, and I get exhausted sometimes.

What do you drive?
A 2005 Nissan Sentra named Felix.

What’s your favorite movie or TV show?
Believe it or not, we don’t own a TV, so I have no idea what’s on these days. My favorite movie is Jurassic Park.

Who do you look up to? Who is your role model?
My husband, Kenny. He has more compassion and faith than anyone I’ve ever known. He challenges me to believe in the impossible, to make sacrifices for others, and to take great leaps of faith that I never would have before I knew him.

What has been the toughest challenge you’ve had to overcome in your life?
Fear. It kept me from doing a lot of things I should have and could have done. That’s why I’m so determined now to be fearless.

What do you hope to be doing 10 years from now? How would you like your life to look 10 years from now?
At Manna Café, we work with all sorts of people, but I have a special place in my heart for the homeless, and I hope that we’ll be providing housing and all that it implies, e.g. a sense of family. Also, I hope that in 10 years I will have mastered the Spanish language and the piano and published a book or two.

Have you ever been issued a speeding ticket?
No. (There are benefits to driving like an old lady.)

Why did you choose your current profession?
I’ve been writing since I was 11, so it was natural for me to get into editing. When it comes to working with the poor and homeless, this is something I got involved with about 11 years ago. When I met Kenny 7 years ago, he was doing the same. And when we got married 3 years ago, we knew we wanted to devote our lives to it.

Where did you go to school and what did you study?
I majored in English and minored in writing at MTSU.

When and to where was your last vacation?
This past September in Tybee Island, Georgia.

What is your favorite pastime or hobby?
I should say something respectable like reading, which I do love, but my favorite pastime is eating a good meal.

What advice can you give others juggling a family and career?
There’s the advice we’ve all heard because it really does work: get sufficient sleep, exercise, and feed your body some good food. Also, feed your spirit. Without these four things, you’ll crash and burn. Finally, throw your TV in the garbage and talk to each other. Because Kenny and I don’t have a TV in the house, we communicate about everything, which helps keep our whole life balanced.

How do you start your day?
The very first thing I do is put on a pot of coffee. Then there’s a mad dash to get out the door on time because I have to meet my commuting buddy at 6:50.

What are you passionate about in life?
Jesus. Everything I am and everything I do is because of Him.

What is something most Clarksvillians wouldn’t know about you?
I asked a friend how I should answer this question and she said to make it public that I have a shoe addiction, that I’ll resort to violence in order to get the best fitting room, and that I refuse to wear two shades of black at the same time.

If you could leave one message to the Clarksville community what would it be?
If you want deep, deep joy that overrides even the most difficult times of your life, serve others.



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