Cynthia (Cindy) Sellen, joined The Just Food Initiative of the Fox Valley as the new part-time coordinator of development February 1. Her position will call on her expertise in fundraising and in relational marketing, as well as her experience in social services and education. Cindy and her husband, Peter, long have lived in Aurora and have raised two children in Aurora.
With an MA in teaching and a SA in sociology from Aurora University, Cindy has developed extensive experience in teaching, tutoring, and training. In addition, Cindy has enjoyed a long and successful career in social services as a case worker, or counselor, for various Illinois agencies, including Wheaton Franciscan Ministries, where she handled a caseload of some 300 residents. An Associate of Arts in law enforcement from Waubonsee Community College earned her employment with the Aurora Police Department and with the Kane County Juvenile Court Services. To all these positions, Cindy has brought her greatest assets: A positive attitude and demeanor, and a loving heart for the poor among us, which positions her as an ideal team member to work with Just Food Initiative, with an aim to work for the very demanding goal of food justice with the poor of the Fox Valley.
Development experience came when Cindy functioned as grant manager at Waubonsee Community College and as creator of a development program for Aurora Central Catholic High School. That valuable experience Cindy brings to Just Food to take JFI, now ready to enter its 10th year of service to the Valley, into new and financially stronger directions of service.
In this new position, Ms Sellen will engage in strengthening and broadening the project and the educational arms of the JFI organization which, since 2009 has been offering free educational seminars on food production, preservation, knowledgeable purchasing, and wise eating habits, all alternatives to the toxic and disease-producing foods sold to Americans by the corporate food industry. Newest seminars for 2019 will include “Eating Vegan – Why and How” and “Listening to Your Gut – Your Second Brain.”
Just Food has developed projects in partnership with World Relief in Aurora, Lazarus House in Saint Charles, and the former Saint Therese School in Aurora. Such projects will be expanded, and new projects in partnership with other area agencies will be added when funds become more available.
Cindy’s task will be to help fund these efforts.
As a non-profit and 501 (c) (3) charitable organization, The Just Food Initiative has three objectives:
• Education of the community about the injustices happening in our American food industry and about personal ways to counteract these harmful agribusiness practices;
• Advocacy for cleaner, safer, and health-producing food; and
• The building of a community of individuals dedicated to promoting justice in the food industry and to offering individuals food security through a hand up rather than a hand out.
Information about The Just Food Initiative, its projects, and its free seminars is available at info@jfi-foxvalley.org or 630-470-8891.
—The Just Food Initiative