Cindy Sellen of Montgomery looked forward to January 2024.
After a lifetime of giving to others, including years of working at jobs that expected giving, Cindy was finally going to retire. Probation officer, junior high teacher, Catholic Charities facilitator; Cindy was always there for others.
She planned on a very part-time retirement position with The Just Food Initiative of the Fox Valley. As a person who knew the community and was marvelous with people interaction, Cindy would be coordinator of community relationships. Perfect. With plenty of time to play with her two-year-old grandson Amos and the new grandchild on the way.
Except she fell. The day after her 69th birthday and her first day on the job with Just Food (in a second part-time stint). That meant the hospital and rehab, so she could not begin in January. Just Food waited till she recovered, then set her at the task of recruiting volunteers for the new and first Family Fest Fresh Market begun by Just Food for the economically disadvantaged families of southeast Aurora.
Cindy shone at the Market. She was in charge of distributing Just Food’s Gold Sovereign vouchers to persons in need. Here she could use all her experience from Catholic Charities and her extraordinary people skills and help persons in need obtain quality organic food. It was both tiring and exhilarating.
So, Cindy and her husband Pete bought themselves a snug little trailer and planned a series of camping trips. Retirement, finally.
Off they went. They got to the camping grounds, opened the trailer door, and Cindy fell. Back to the hospital and rehab. She had to resign her coveted new position with Just Food. Both Cindy and Just Food were deeply saddened.
December 19, 2024, a third fall took Cindy back to the hospital. From this one, she never recovered.
She, like Saint Therese of Lisieux, promised to spend her heaven doing good on earth. Cindy continues to give. She loved working with The Just Food of the Fox Valley and assigned JFI as her charity of choice for her funeral. Cindy was the original Giving Tree!
We miss her physical presence, her constant smile in spite of her own medical challenges, her sincere love of people. Cindy continues to be our inspiration and our model. She is both our loss and our gain. We treasure her.
—The Just Food Initiative of the Fox Valley