from Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce Women In Business:
November 15, 2012
By: Erin Patti – Financial Advisor
Jody Bender is the Community Relations Director at Loaves & Fishes Community Pantry; she loves to gather everyone together in order to provide for the well-being of others. Day after day, she observes the generosity of Naperville in every donation received.
“I remember thinking to myself, ‘How is there poverty around here?’”
Jody has always been a community servant, but her service career began as a volunteer in her children’s schools. She spent many hours in Neuqua’s LMC and worked to coordinate Market Day orders. “Naperville seemed so idealistic. Everyone seemed carefree, well-to-do, cultural, and upscale.” Upon her decision to return to the workforce, she responded to a blind advertisement for an Administrative Assistant Position that turned out to be at Loaves & Fishes. 9 years later, she can now tell you, “It’s surprising to see who comes in; people with advanced degrees who lost jobs. About 45% of visitors are children, and we’ve been able to help many more single moms.”
Read entire post.