Volunteer – Julie Kostka
Organization – YES WE CAN
Children from Elementary through High School helping collect food and funds to feed the areas less fortunate.
Founded by 9 and 10 year old siblings: Sasha and Vaughn Lindstrom
www.facebook.com/YESWECANendhunger
Website: www.yeswecankids.net
When Patty Lindstrom informed Julie Kostka that she had been nominated as Volunteer of the Month, her first words were, “Oh, my gosh, I don’t think I’ve earned that.”
Patty explained the selection process had included many schools, organizations and individuals; and that Julie was recognized for her outreach to represent YES WE CAN at Crone Middle School and on social media. Patty noted that as Julie begins to finish her second year of volunteering for YES WE CAN, she also has engaged a successor in her friend and fellow parent, Jill Olita, for next year. At that time, Julie’s volunteer efforts for YES WE CAN will follow her child to high school.
“These efforts embody the profile of volunteers we are looking for in order to continue to grow the organization and expand,” said Patty, noting Julie’s efforts to involve the student council, too.
Founded by Sasha and Vaughn Lindstrom in spring of 2013, YES WE CAN is an all-volunteer organization that began by collecting more than 10,347 pounds of food. Add to it the recent collection at Crone Middle school and the grassroots effort has brought in a total of 12,262 pounds—more than 6 tons of food!
When the initiative began the young founders said, “What if each person in our community gave just one can. Imagine the impact we could make on feeding people in need?”
In 2014, with their mother’s help, the youngsters formed an Advisory Board made up of seven volunteer business leaders.
Going forward in 2015, Patty said they plan to establish a High School Advisory Team that will evaluate how to engage other area schools and community organizations.
She also expressed gratitude for communications via both District 203 and 204 backpack programs. And she recognized supporters such as Young Naperville Singers, DuPage Children’s Museum, Naper Settlement and Naperville Education Foundation.
“We are thankful for Mayor Pradel and all that he has done to help us and all of the children and families of our community and hope that the successor to him embraces us with the same enthusiasm and support,” Patty added.
“We recently learned the statistics and numbers of families whose children are likely to go to school hungry in our immediate community. We will work with our board and volunteers like Julie to discuss how we can continue to help this very real problem locally and beyond.”
Volunteer of the month is sponsored by Naperville Bank & Trust, serving Naperville with three locations, 555 Fort Hill Dr., 1205 S. Naper Blvd. and 5 S. Washington in the historic downtown post office. For more info, visit www.banknaperville.com.
