From Northwest Indiana, Chandra Ostrander has always been inspired to do more. She received her degree from Purdue North Central and now, she and her husband Paul live in Portage with their three children. She has more than 20 years of financial and operational management experience, giving her the exceptional opportunity to be Real Life Church’s Director of Operations.
“I’ve attended Real Life for about 17 years. I volunteer there and organize projects. When they had an opening for the Director of Operations, it seemed like the perfect fit,” said Ostrander.
At Real Life, they hold that beliefs are meant to be lived. They want to make a significant difference in the lives of friends, neighbors, Northwest Indiana, and the world.
Ostrander has a dedication to leaving people better than she found them and hopes to make a difference in the lives around her. She actively volunteers in the community where she is on the board of directors for the Portage YMCA, on the board for First Contact with Porter County, previously on the board for the Portage Resale Shop, and is a part of the Portage Exchange Club.
“I feel like our community is as strong as the volunteer base we have,” said Ostrander. “We are called to serve people, and I try to live that out in my day-to-day life as best as I can.”
Her passion and drive for helping others stems from her mother.
“My mom is one of the people I learned service from. She was diagnosed with cancer and she still volunteered in between chemo sessions. I learned service early on from her,” said Ostrander.
At Real Life Church, Ostrander is able to express her service and show her gratitude to the people in her community.
“Having an opportunity to help people at the church in my day-to-day mission is amazing,” said Ostrander. “I love the idea that I am able to make a difference. Sometimes you don’t always feel or see differences right away, but somebody somewhere will come back and tell you years later because of something you did or helped with made a difference. I like being able to say I made a difference for people.”
Ostrander loves her Portage community and believes it’s the people that make her city special.
“I love that it’s made up of people who are willing to put in hard work to get the job done at all kinds of levels,” said Ostrander. “I feel like our service organizations in Portage are top notch. Everybody tries to find their area that they can serve those that aren’t already served. It’s just really a cool place to live.”
Ostrander is passionate in her admiration for her community, and she is proud to be a resident of the region.
“Portage is made up from all walks of life and from all different backgrounds,” said Ostrander. “I feel like it’s really opening and welcoming to those of different diversities. I like that we don't all look the same or talk the same in the city. I like that we are all open and friendly, I think that makes us all a little more unique.”