Where there’s a will, there’s a way: Meet Jodi Menard

Every week, I will be profiling an extraordinary human being who lives in our community. If you know someone who is doing something interesting with their life, I want to hear about it. Send me an email at [email protected].

Jodi Menard couldn’t erase it from her memory. Seeing those precious children beg on the side of the dirty, garbage-strewn street had left a lasting mark. No shoes on their feet, no toys to play with, no food in their bellies and many of them without parents. Her heart broke into a thousand little pieces.

That was 14 years ago, although her heart continues to break to this day. Jodi had taken her kids on a family trip to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. When they left the resort they were staying at for an afternoon of sightseeing in the city, a harsh reality jolted them. They witnessed, first-hand, what poverty in a third-world country looks like. And it was devastating.

“It’s not something you can just forget about,” says Jodi. “You can pretend you didn’t see it. You can try to ignore it and go home and believe it isn’t real, but it is. Sadly, this is reality. ”

Two days ago she left for about the 20^th time in 14 years to Puerto Plata. It’s another trip to take care of some unfinished business and it’s a place that is as special to her as her own hometown of Huntsville. She’s going the extra mile (literally!) to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate children in the Dominican. Jodi is the founder of Love United Poverty Relief Organization, a non-profit organization that works to provide supports and assistance to underprivileged families, specifically children, who are in dire need of the basics: food, shelter and education.

She won’t be back for a while. Nine weeks to be exact. And this time she took over 300 pounds of luggage with her, which included some non-perishable food items, clothes, school supplies, used backpacks, a 50-pound bag of wheat and oatmeal, shoes and a second-hand wheelchair for a gentleman she knows in the village suffering from cerebral palsy. The school supplies were generously donated from Jodi’s faithful local supporters. She knows that if it wasn’t for the kindness of people who recognize the importance of what she is doing, she wouldn’t be able to do what she is doing. She works closely with a few of the locals she has established a strong relationship with.

Jodi was all smiles on Sunday preparing for a nine-week stay in her house in the Dominican Republic.

“We went from being able to help just a few families to 200 with a weekly food and school program,” says Jodi, adding that just $30 feeds a family of four, one meal a day for a whole month. “We’ve opened a thrift store which helps fund the food and school programs. It’s been very rewarding to watch it grow and be able to do the work that I do to help these people.”

You can hear the excitement in Jodi’s voice when she talks about what the organization is doing. She’s established life-long friendships with many of the locals. Her work there means frequent visits to the country, sometimes two to three times a year. She’s even purchased a house in Puerto Plata and a soup kitchen operates from it when she is there. And when she’s not, her place is usually occupied by squatters and that doesn’t seem to bother her the least bit. In fact, the door’s always open. It currently houses five orphaned teenage boys ranging in ages from 15 to 17 who have been displaced and would otherwise have nowhere else to live.

Through love, we create unity to build relationships that foster the growth and change necessary to improve the lives of those in need. Our purpose is to develop partnerships that improve equality and create sustainability in poverty-stricken communities.The mission and vision of Love United Poverty Relief Organization

Fundraising is done at the thrift store in Puerto Plata and when Jodi’s back home she also coordinates local fundraising initiatives at events like Midnight Madness, the Sidewalk Sale and through an annual dinner and auction. She’s also getting ready to spread some Christmas cheer in the Dominican to families in need by collecting toys, non-perishable food items and hygiene products in town from now until December.

Being involved in a country like the Dominican has opened Jodi’s eyes to a lot of things. Racism, for example, is still very prevalent and there are still so many people who don’t realize that it’s even happening.

“We’re all here together… it’s one big world, one planet but the divide is crazy. This journey has taught me we’re all in a position to help. It’s not always about money. We all have the ability to assist others who are less fortunate.”

There’s always a huge reception when she gets to the village. The night before she was leaving for her trip, she had received over 50 emails from children and her far-away friends telling her they couldn’t wait for her arrival.

Jodi’s work is far from done…

Almost four years ago, Jodi discovered a lump in her breast. But she had just booked a special trip to the Dominican for the official opening of the food bank. She wasn’t about to halt her plans to help those in need. Upon returning home, she immediately underwent a double mastectomy. Then she had her ovaries removed.

And somehow, despite being thrown a curveball like cancer, it never once slowed Jodi down. She’s a fighter, a survivor, and she keeps her chin up every single day. Sure, there are days when she cries hard but there are also days when she laughs loud. She admits she’s oversensitive, but thankfully her daughter keeps her grounded. She’s always been the kind of person to put others first and she always will. She has a lot on the go; a plate that is full. There are so many kids who need her help. And she’s well aware that poverty is happening right in her hometown. If she could have it her way, she would end world hunger and give every child the right to food, shelter and an education.

“It’s like feeding a bird. If you stop, that bird will die. If I stop, who’s going to feed these beautiful children and how are they going to survive on their own?”

To learn more about Jodi’s ongoing work and initiatives or to make a donation to this non-profit organization please visit www.loveunitedpovertyrelieforganization.org

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