Children served through agency and community partners
Volunteer hours for Share Our Spare
Agencies served through our partnership model
A native Chicagoan, Bridget is a mission-driven professional with extensive experience serving young people, working in the intersection of education and social work, and building relationships with diverse communities of stakeholders. Bridget holds a Master’s in Social Work from the George Warren Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and a Bachelor’s in History with minors in Education and Psychology from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. She spent a semester abroad in Northern Uganda studying Post-Conflict Resolution and has spent several summers in Jerusalem with Project Harmony Israel.
Jesseca began her career with Apartments.com, where she worked directly with property managers and management companies. She also has served as an assistant property manager with Mercy Housing and as the assignments coordinator at DePaul University’s Department of Housing. In 2015, Jesseca founded Never Go Without, which has donated over 50,000 menstruation and incontinence supplies to individuals in need around the Chicago area. She earned her Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management and has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Eastern Illinois University.
Louis (Lou) attended Progressive Truck Driving School in Chicago where he received his Class A CDL license. After working at PGT Trucking, he decided to make a change in occupations and started with Share Our Spare in the fall of 2021. Lou says, “I love my job and our mission! I get to deliver essential items for children and meet a lot of new people doing important work throughout the community. I look forward to what’s to come each day!”
Sade (they/them) is a community-oriented service industry professional and administrator with a passion for cultivating care through highly personalized experiences. Sade holds a Master’s in Museum Studies from the University of Illinois-Chicago and a Bachelors’ in Anthropology and International Studies from the University of Washington.
After spending years working as a cook and organizing live music events, Bill pivoted to a new field joining the Share Our Spare team in January 2022 as an AmeriCorps VISTA. He was hired on as the Auxiliary Program Coordinator at the end of his VISTA term in January 2023.
Bill currently lives in Andersonville with his partner. He enjoys his free time playing video games, biking, playing Dungeons & Dragons, and exploring Chicago’s vast landscape of restaurants. He has a passion for workers’ rights and LGBTQIA+ liberation, and hopes to pursue future opportunities related to queer advocacy and labor equity.
Sade (they/them) is a community-oriented service industry professional and administrator with a passion for cultivating care through highly personalized experiences. Sade holds a Master’s in Museum Studies from the University of Illinois-Chicago and a Bachelors’ in Anthropology and International Studies from the University of Washington.
Sade (they/them) is a community-oriented service industry professional and administrator with a passion for cultivating care through highly personalized experiences. Sade holds a Master’s in Museum Studies from the University of Illinois-Chicago and a Bachelors’ in Anthropology and International Studies from the University of Washington.
Jonathan is passionate about developing a circular economy across Chicago. He has supported grant/application writing, compliance reporting, and policy and procedure development for social service organizations and non-profit development funds in Chicago and beyond. He has a BA in Psychology and an MA in Industrial Organizational Psychology.
Sade (they/them) is a community-oriented service industry professional and administrator with a passion for cultivating care through highly personalized experiences. Sade holds a Master’s in Museum Studies from the University of Illinois-Chicago and a Bachelors’ in Anthropology and International Studies from the University of Washington.
Ella began her nonprofit career in Oakland, California where she served as a Jesuit Volunteer at Civicorps. After supervising conservation crews for an additional year, she transitioned to family-based service in the Chicago area. She is passionate about developing healthy individuals to promote empowered communities. Ella holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics with a focus in Computer Science from the University of Notre Dame.
Born and raised on Chicago’s south side, Gina is passionate about community-based work in her hometown. She has previously worked directly with middle school youth, and she feels grateful for the opportunity to work towards a more equitable future alongside like-minded people. Gina holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Zach Ellenberger is a logistics and operations professional. His first experience with nonprofit organizations was in high school volunteering with Make-A-Wish Foundation in the Pittsburgh area. Zach holds a bachelor’s in Communications with a minor in Multimedia.
Umi Grigsby is a Chicago-based attorney, policy leader, and equity advocate whose career spans government, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector. She previously served as Deputy Chief of Policy and Director of Legislative Affairs at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and Chief of Policy for the City of Chicago, leading major initiatives advancing equity, health, and opportunity for families and children.
Through her firm, Grigsby Strategic Solutions, Umi has advised organizations on policy strategy, coalition building, and equitable journalism practices, and she has held leadership roles with the Chicago Foundation for Women and the Cook County Human Rights Commission.
Umi joins Share Our Spare at a pivotal moment as the organization celebrates 15 years of impact. She is deeply committed to ensuring every Chicago-area child has the essentials they need for a strong start in life.
