St. Augustine’s Brooke Gast uses communication to help nonprofits
Margo C. Pope
10 Who makes the difference
Editor’s Note: This is the third story in The Record’s annual “10 Who Make a Difference” series that highlights a volunteer who has made a significant impact on our community.
A Thanksgiving family vacation in St. Augustine in 2015 eventually changed Brooke Gast’s focus from the company’s global sustainability to local community building and partnership.
In her job she had traveled frequently between New York City and Germany. On the Thanksgiving trip “she and her fiancé at the time, Bart Gast, fell in love with the city”. They moved here in March 2016 with his son Christopher, a high school lacrosse player. They got married in May.
“I decided to slow down and stay local for a change,” she said.
Guest, 40, is among the 2020 recipients of 10 Who Make a Difference in St. Johns County, recognized annually by The St. Augustine Record.
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Gast first worked in the government and then switched to the private sector.
“Government is about regulations,” she said. In the private sector, she worked for consumer goods manufacturers and later for chemical companies. She helped companies improve their environmental footprint and sustainability initiatives.
“If you don’t change, don’t adapt to what’s going on in the world around you,” she said.
The formation of partnerships and sustainability initiatives is still on their radar. “My newer life is all about partnerships. I can coordinate, I can organize, and I can bring people together to do something better, but they have to get me to take care of it first. “
Her mother Jane Weizmann, a community attorney and immediate past president of The Woman’s Exchange, led Gast to join the Woman’s Exchange in 2018.
“My mother told me that I need to be active in the church. She said, ‘You never had roots.’ “
Weizmann said: “I told her she would meet people with common interests and get to know perspectives that she had never thought of before.”
Brooke Gast helps women over 30 create opportunities through scholarships
Gast welcomed the Exchange’s longstanding commitment to helping women over 30 build career opportunities through college scholarships.
“I’m interested in any cause that benefits the community, especially the Woman’s Exchange Scholarship Fund – returning to school is a heroic endeavor for so many local women,” she said. “As a stepmother and even a career woman, I personally know how difficult it can be to keep pushing. The recipients of this annual scholarship achieve great things in this community and deserve all our respect. ”
In the fall of 2020, Gast organized the Chef’s Spotlight, where dinners by local chefs were presented as a scholarship fundraiser.
Through Chef’s Spotlight, Guest met Tyrone Bennett, a local chef and food specialist, which led her to yet another opportunity.
Bennett started a nonprofit community food distribution program in Providence, Rhode Island, We Feed 12 years ago. He introduced it here last year.
“Tyrone has a huge heart; a heart of gold, ”she said. “Here is someone who wanted to make something out of nothing. He needed help organizing We Feed events. I have the organizational and communication skills, the time and the passion so why not help? I see this as a joint partnership. “
Bennett said Guest’s work on We Feed’s behalf increased community recognition.
“I was the first chef featured in Chef’s Spotlight,” said Bennett. “I saw Brooke’s passion for helping others and what she does to raise money for women over 30 so they can go back to school. Then she started volunteering with We Feed and I invited her to join our advisory board. “
Guest said We Feed’s partnerships with businesses, individuals and the food industry show that St. Augustine is a caring community.
“A big part of what I love about this city is the progressive food, art and music scene,” she said. “Last year, our restaurant community was hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Despite the circumstances, so many people in this community have continued to employ people, donate to keep the pantries full and to lift our spirits with their creativity. I am committed to doing everything in my power to promote these local artists by organizing pop-up events that also raise awareness of local charities. “
Gast says her new career in real estate gives me time to focus on local causes and philanthropy.
Making a difference and making change, she said, started with her parents.
“They are ambitious doers. You can’t fit into my family without being excited [community] Things. “
family
Husband, Bart Gast; Stepson, Christopher Gast; Stepdaughters Shelby and Paula Gast; Parents, Howard and Jane Weizmann
job
Development and expansion of corporate social responsibility and sustainability programs for large manufacturers in the consumer goods and chemical industries worldwide.
Obtaining the broker license in 2020 during the pandemic. Focuses on commercial and residential real estate at ReMax Leading Edge on Anastasia Island.
Social Commitment
St. Augustine Women’s Exchange with an emphasis on building development and growing partnerships. We feed St. Augustine board member and fundraising coordinator. St. Augustine High School Lacrosse Boosters Board Member.
What motivates you to volunteer?
Undoubtedly the other people I can volunteer with in the community. One of the things I love most about St. Augustine is that there are (in the words of Mr. Rogers) so many volunteers. Some from here and some from all over the world with different backgrounds, skills and big hearts. It’s a community of helpers. No place is ever perfect, but the people who do things – usually without prompting or recognition – to keep making us better. I want to be like this when I grow up.
What tips do you have for others on how they can get involved in their community?
Just do something. Find something you care about or someone who touched your heart and show up. You may find that making a difference is easier than you think.