Julie and Rich Jerdonek will be honored as the Christ Child Society of Cleveland’s Persons of the Year at the group’s annual Starlight Soiree fundraising gala on Nov. 4 at The Intercontinental in Cleveland.
The couple has led many parish and school ministries and fundraising efforts. They also are active in philanthropy with more than a dozen organizations that challenge childhood poverty in Greater Cleveland.
Together, they have served as volunteers with the West Side Catholic Center for 25 years.
As board members, they led the capital campaign to raise $3 million to build the Moriah House family shelter and renovate all other facilities. They also helped develop and lead the Passages program for volunteers to support families in transition from homelessness.
The Jerdoneks are Project Redwood partners with Stanford Graduate School of Business alumni (Rich Jerdonek’s alma mater), awarding grants to help nearly a million people in 30 countries lift themselves out of poverty. They belong to the Loyola Service Team, providing spiritual support and placement for volunteers helping those in need.
Julie Jerdonek served on the Catholic Social Services Advisory Board and is a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Basil the Great Parish in Brecksville. As a Christ Child Society member, she served on the Executive Committee of the board as service vice president and was instrumental in launching the new school hygiene program, updating the crib and bed programs, piloting Christ Child Junior Service and overall strengthening the organization’s service programs. She also helped develop the alumnae program at Zelie’s Home, and volunteers with the West Side Catholic Center Family Engagement Program.
Rich Jerdonek is a West Side Catholic Center board member and has served as board chair with them, the Jesuit Retreat Center and Project Redwood. He is a spiritual director, meeting
one-on-one and leading retreats with Saint Ignatius High School, Newman Campus Ministry and throughout Northeast Ohio for more than 15 years.
Julie Jerdonek earned her bachelor of science in nursing degree from The Catholic University of America. She is a registered nurse case manager.
Her husband is a management consultant. He earned his bachelor of science and master of science degrees from Case Western Reserve University and an MBA from Stanford University.
They are members of St. Basil the Great and St. Wendelin (Cleveland) parishes.
The couple has been married for 52 years. They have three sons and seven grandchildren.
The Christ Child Society of Cleveland is a nonprofit volunteer organization that has been serving at-risk children in Greater Cleveland since 1916. The organization operates Showcase Resale Shops in Lakewood and Fairview Park, offer layettes for newborns in need, “My Stuff” bags for children in shelters, preschool reading enrichment, operates libraries at St. Francis and St. Rocco schools in Cleveland and provide basic hygiene supplies, beds, school clothing, shoes and winter coats for children who need them.
Click here for more information on the Christ Child Society of Cleveland. Details about the gala can be found here.