Ducks on a Mission is all about sharing the love of Jesus in practical ways. We help families who are struggling with food insecurity by giving them a box of food around Easter and Thanksgiving so they can feed their families, and we share Jesus with them for eternal support.

How do we work?

Love in Action

The verse that motivates us to do what we do is found in 1 John 3:18. It says, "Let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth." This means that we can't just say we love people, but we need to back it up with what we do. Our goal is to love in action and in truth. We do this by helping people with the immediate, physical needs and connecting them with Jesus who can help them with their eternal, spiritual needs. This is how we love in action.

Intentionality

When it comes to the food that we give out, we make intentional steps to make sure people feel loved and cared for. We are more focused on quality over quantity and we use the same brands of food that we use in our homes. We also try to give families more than enough food so they are well taken care of and have leftovers to feed them after the holiday.

Faith-Based

We are a religious organization. Jesus is at the core of all we do and we know that He is the only way to get to heaven. Our mission is to provide for the physical needs first, then connect them with Jesus for the spiritual needs.

Meet the Ducks Team

Susan Bowman

President

Susan is a retired Latin and math teacher with 45 years of experience. She volunteers with Heights Community Church, Family Promise, the Christian Soldiers Food Pantry, and is active in Alpha Delta Kappa. She has volunteered with Ducks on a Mission for several years before joining the Board in 2024 and becoming Secretary. In 2026, she moved into the role of President.

Kerri Bowman

Treasurer

Kerri has been involved with Ducks on a Mission since 2018. She really enjoys serving and helping those in need, and she is grateful that God has given her this opportunity.

Nick Hagen

Board Member

Nick has been involved with Ducks on a Mission since January 2023. He's an attorney and a member of Roanoke City Council with a long history of serving our community. Through his pro-bono work and political activism, he believes that together can we all help Roanoke grow and prosper. He enjoys serving because he likes to see and strive to help make our world a little better than he found it!

The Story Behind the Name

Ducks on a Mission began long before it became a nonprofit—it started on the water in Maine. Each year, our founder (Kevin) raced kayaks, decorating his boat with rubber ducks and earning the nickname “duckman.” When he prepared to move to Virginia, he wanted to do one final race and decided to turn his quirky tradition into something meaningful.

Through his smartphone repair shop, he launched a duck‑donation drive: for every 75 rubber ducks collected, a child would be sponsored to learn how to ride a bike at a local Goodwill event. It was a simple idea with a big heart — ducks on a mission to help kids.

Later that year, he saw another need in his new community: families struggling to afford Thanksgiving meals. He organized a food drive called the Green Bean Casserole Project, offering discounts in exchange for canned goods to help fill local tables.

In 2017, these two efforts came together under one name: Ducks on a Mission. What began as a playful kayak tradition grew into a community movement. In 2021, Ducks on a Mission officially became a nonprofit dedicated to supporting families and sharing the love of Jesus in practical ways.

Photo by Ashley L. Conti from the Bangor Daily News

Learn More

and Get Involved

Learn all about Ducks on a Mission, where the ducks came from, the heart beyond the mission, and how we love on families in the Roanoke area! If you feel like you’d like to join our team, please send us a message.

Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.

– Philippians 2:4