Celebrating Women, Transforming Lives

Celebrating Women...Transforming Lives Luncheon Celebration

Friday, May 6, 2022
11:00 am - 1:30 pm
Danada House, Wheaton

You are invited to celebrate the women and men in our communities that transform the lives of those in need and to honor those lives transformed by Bridge Communities' Transitional Housing Program.

Enjoy a gourmet luncheon, including a champagne welcome reception, along with a moving program that recognizes and honors our community leaders.

New this year is the added value of VIP tickets that include preferential seating, wine and bubbly, a decadent dessert, and a special take-home gift.

Also, enjoy a jewelry raffle with Kendra Scott jewelry. A limited number of gorgeous jewelry pieces will be available for you to choose a mystery box of jewelry for a $50 donation to Bridge Communities.

Click here to purchase your tickets to Celebrating Women, Transforming Lives

Learn more about our special honorees featured in this year's Celebrating Women, Transforming Lives:

Transforming Lives Award: Nicki Anderson

Nicki Anderson currently serves as the Director of LEADS at Benedictine University, a groundbreaking four-year co-curricular leadership program for women. Previously Nicki served as the first female CEO and President of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce after selling her business, Reality Fitness. Nicki has served on many non-profit boards including SamaraCare Counseling, 360 Youth Services, and Loaves and Fishes in Naperville and Aurora. Nicki volunteers for District 203 Incubator program, Alive Center, and Innovation DuPage. Nicki has been recognized for several awards, including the Harter Award and The Education Center's "Making a Difference" award. Bridge Communities is honored to add to her list of accolades with this year's Transforming Lives award.

Life Transformed Award: Kelly and Tony Bish

Our first ever couple honorees, Kelly and Tony Bish, met in a Bridge Communities parenting class. After a divorce, Kelly and her three children were facing homelessness. Tony was a luxury home painting contractor when the Great Recession hit and the bottom fell out of the housing industry. Through Bridge, Tony took career assessments and landed in the electrical field and Kelly started her education and employment journey toward achieving her Bachelors in Science, Nursing; she graduated from Purdue University in 2019. They supported one another while working on their individual and family goals. This past summer they married, blending their two families into one of 9, and are thriving in their marriage, personal and professional lives. Recently, Kelly received the Daisy Award for compassion and dedication in nursing and Tony continues to receive promotions with his employer. Bridge is honored to celebrate the good work and love of Kelly and Tony with the Lives Transformed Award.

Event Emcee: ABC7's Judy Hsu

Judy Hsu is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and in 2018 joined Alan Krashesky as co-anchor on the 6PM Evening News, moving on from her co-anchor duties on the 11AM show. She continues to co-anchor the 4PM News with Rob Elgas. Additionally, Judy hosts a long format interview segment that airs on Sunday mornings called “Our Chicago.” This segment offers unique perspectives from Chicago area newsmakers as they address the issues impacting our community.
Judy was thrilled to return to her hometown in 2001 to join ABC 7 as the primary morning anchor of the weekday morning newscast. She helped lead the morning show for 15 years before the announcement of her promotion to the afternoon newscasts. Judy’s on-air work
has garnered multiple Emmy awards.
Judy’s family immigrated to Chicago from Taiwan when she was 11 years old. From living in Chicago’s Chinatown, to later attending U of I in Urbana-Champaign and then landing an on-air reporting job the day after graduation, Judy truly embodies the spirit of the American Dream success story.
Since coming back to Chicago, Judy has worked with dozens of charities throughout the region highlighting issues important to local families. Judy chairs the Advisory Board for Chicago’s Chinese American Service League, and she was invited to join the Community Memorial Foundation’s Regional Health and Human Services Advisory Council in the western suburbs. One of her passions today is speaking to schoolchildren about the importance of pursuing their dreams.
Excited to return as emcee, Judy is beloved by Bridge Communities supporters and has even spent an evening in the cold hosting Sleep Out Saturday in 2015. She looks forward to welcoming the important room of compassionate and caring supporters attending the luncheon. Judy resides in the western suburbs of Chicago with her husband and four children.

To see more Bridge Communities videos in the spirit of Celebrating Women, Transforming Lives, click here.

Transform Lives as a Monarch Society member

With your help, the women of Bridge Communities will be transformed into self-sufficient mothers able to support themselves and their families with a future that looks as bright as a butterfly’s wings. You can make a difference by becoming a member of the Monarch Society, or with a donation of any amount:

$1,000 provides one month of housing

$500 provides 2 weeks of housing

A gift of $500 or more qualifies you as a member of the Monarch Society. Click here to make a donation today!

For more information about our 2022 luncheon, please contact Margo Matthew at (630) 403-5091, or margo.matthew@bridgecommunities.org.

If you would like to make a donation, please click here.