Jessica Szabo is a catalyst for good in her community of Portage. Born and raised in Portage, Szabo has returned to her hometown after living in Ohio for a decade to help bring along change for both herself and others.
“I moved home about three years ago, I had two infant toddlers and I’m a single mom. Essentially, I needed help and luckily, I have a family that is awesome, and I came back home to Indiana,” Szabo said.
Moving back home and starting over wasn’t a walk in the park for Szabo. She faced many challenges as she tried to find a place for her and her three children.
“My children’s father was diagnosed with liver failure and passed away. That kind of kick-started me into realizing that I needed to really focus on getting my children a home and to stop renting,” Szabo said. “I wanted to end the cycle of poverty and just make sure that they get the best possible life that I can give them.”
She began to reach out to local nonprofit organizations in search of a way for her to reach her goals.
“I needed to find my own place for me and my kids who couldn't stay with family forever. I asked The Salvation Army what kind of programs they had for a single low-income mom, they told me about Pathway to Hope, which is an amazing program,” Szabo said.
Thanks to Sharon Du'Bois at The Salvation Army in South Haven, Szabo has since graduated from the Pathway to Hope program. Through the program and Du’Bois’ guidance, Szabo was able to save and find a home for her family as well as further her education. Since graduating, she has begun her mission to help others in her community.
“I was helped by nonprofits to begin with, and I've been really inspired by their work and also wanting to do something on my level that I could do just as one person,” Szabo said.
She noticed a need in the community for single parents like her who have similar experiences as needs as she did.
“I saw so many single parents who are in a similar situation, starting over, not knowing what to do, being in a lower income bracket,” Szabo said. “And I would really like to help people who are similar and help them understand that they can do more, that they’re capable of it.”
During the pandemic, Szabo took the initiative to learn how she can help the people in her community by taking a three-month online program through the Purdue Extension - Lake County Gary Urban Farmers Initiative, which helps individuals learn about farming systems and gives them the skills they need to become successful at growing their own fresh produce. Through this program, and the help of her teacher Lynda Bodie-Fernandez, Szabo was able to obtain her Certificate in Urban Agriculture.
“One more thing that I love to do is garden. So, I was looking at programs where I could learn and teach how to become as self-sufficient as possible,” Szabo said. “I think that it’s important that we get back to our roots of learning to garden and provide or supplement for our families and neighbors.”
She also took the time the pandemic gave her to further realize her mission in helping her family and her community.
“I took the time with the pandemic to learn more about myself, to learn more about my family and my community and be more involved. Just watching and listening at the city meetings for different things that are important and just wanting to make sure that things are good and set up not only for my family but everyone around,” she said.
Szabo has helped her community through initiatives such as the Happy Holidays campaign. She worked closely with NWI Solidarity and NWI Collective to create the campaign last year. The Happy Holidays campaign helps families in need who are either waitlisted by The Salvation Army or those who follow other faiths and may not feel comfortable going to a Christian-based nonprofit like The Salvation Army. Szabo collected donations from friends and family as well as by asking for donations on different Facebook pages and groups.
The Happy Holidays campaign allowed Szabo to organize donations of a holiday meal, clothes and toys for children, hygiene products and anything the families needed for five families in Lake and Porter County.
“I think that it's very important because Portage is so wonderfully diverse now and I would like to see that continue. I would like to see that continue for my children. The most important thing is that everyone is taken care of. I always say it takes a lot of communication and people understanding the communications and community and making sure all aspects are covered for all the people,” she said. “It’s all about solidarity, not charity - taking care of each other.”
Szabo hopes to continue the Happy Holidays campaign as well as establish a mutual aid event in Portage. She also hopes to get her master gardener certification through Purdue extension as well as further her education.
“These are my roots, Portage is my roots, and I would just want to make sure that the roots are strong,” she said. “I hope that people start communicating more and start helping one another and through that, I think it will be an even more beautiful city.”
Szabo was recently nominated and began her 3-year term on the Board of Directors for Indiana Legal Services. She serves on the Governance Committee and Advocacy, Priorities, and Practice Committee.
In her free time, Szabo enjoys working in her yard, working on home improvement projects, supporting local artists and musicians, spending her time walking the trails or at the beach, nature photography as well as being a great mom to her two three-year-old twins and her 13-year-old son.