Member Spotlight: Jenny Brendler
What's your story? Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Jenny grew up in Madison and attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She has always been interested in marketing, and in the local nonprofits in the area. She volunteered with Olbrich Gardens for a while, interned at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center. In 2014, she joined the board of Fishing Has No Boundaries – Madison Chapter, where her passion for the disability community grew, and have recently been elected Co-Chair! A few years later, she was hired at Community Living Connections (CLC) in 2016.
She explains that CLC is a nonprofit which supports individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, and frail elders to live as independently as possible, in their own homes. They provide support that enables people to live in their own homes and participate in community life. They provide in home staff to help with planning, personal cares, medical support, finances, relationship building, etc… She is the Development & Community Relations Manager. She coordinates their communications such as the Facebook and Instagram accounts and eNewsletters, assists with recruitment, and manages their fundraising efforts.
How are you involved with self-determination? Why did you join the SD Network?
Jenny joined the SD Network when she started at CLC. She didn’t know about the network until she started working there. “I’m glad I did, it is a great resource and I really appreciate getting the emails,” she says.
Tell us some good news - what's the most exciting thing happening for you (or in Wisconsin) in terms self-determination?
Jenny is thrilled that Community Living Connections is growing! They are SO exciting to be expanding their service area to support individuals who live in the communities of Beaver Dam and Platteville She explains that they want to help more people live independently in their own homes and self-directing their own lives, and they’re thrilled to be making that happen!
What tip or resource would you like to share with people who want to be more self-determined?
Jenny shares that in Marketing they say it takes someone seven times to hear the message, before they actually hear it, absorb it, and act upon it—so, don’t be afraid to repeat yourself! She explains that other people may not fully understand your message the way you mean it the first time around. “Advocate for yourself, repeat what you want and what you need, and say it in as many different ways as you can,” she exclaims!
What are some of your hobbies?
Jenny loves to garden! She and her husband bought a house in Oregon and she has been slowly growing the garden to be her little outdoor oasis. She’s a big reader, and is in a small book club with a few friends. She also loves camping and being outdoors--like walking through the Arboretum, or lying beside Devil’s Lake with a good book in hand. She says she doesn’t know how to fish, but every summer, her favorite weekend is in July with Fishing Has No Boundaries in Madison! “It is so much fun, and everyone who comes (both volunteers and participants) is so excited for a weekend of accessible fishing,” she says!
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