Zandra Bright has spent two decades of her career in community engagement and thrives as the founder of Operation Love Freeport. Established in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Operation Love Freeport is a nonprofit organization that serves the homeless and senior populations in Freeport, Illinois, by providing freshly prepared meals to homeless shelters and homebound senior citizens every month. Funded solely by community donations, the organization is comprised of countless volunteers who come from all walks of life.
Ms. Bright also recently founded Black is the Foundation, another nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching business owners how to collaborate and support one another. Notably, Ms. Bright has already aided many struggling businesses and endeavors to conduct fundraisers to help more businesses that require financial aid. Outside of her primary appointments, Ms. Bright was recently hired by a local radio station to assist in their programs as a community advocate. In her role, she composes recordings and segments for the radio station to play every hour.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Bright served as the director of Malcolm Eaton Enterprise Daycare. She also taught at and served at the helm of a licensed daycare center for 13 years. To prepare for her pronounced career, she pursued formal education at Highland Community College, earning an associate degree in early childhood education in 2001.
Ms. Bright credits her success to her determination and steadfast commitment to her goals and ambitions. As a testament to her accomplishments, she was honored with a Gold Certificate from the Damon Instructional System Division and earned a scholarship from Discovery Spotlight. However, she cites many additional achievements as highlights of her career. She is particularly proud of witnessing the willingness of community members to aid Operation Love Freeport to serve their neighborhoods and individuals in need. Ms. Bright notes that each month she sees new volunteers joining her cause, which allows for a further expansion of the number of clients whom they serve.
In the future, Ms. Bright aims to expand upon the success of Operation Love Freeport with more community volunteerism and donations. She ultimately hopes that her nonprofit organization will encourage others to work collaboratively toward a common goal.