05/14/2026
Sponsor Spotlight:
For the 8th year of No More Trash Bags, I want to take time to honor the women and businesses who have faithfully helped carry this mission year after year.
Today’s sponsor spotlight is on Jennifer Louden, a full-time real estate broker of 17 years who has spent most of her life here in Decatur County, where she also built her business and raised her family.
Jennifer shared that from the very beginning, she knew this was something she wanted to support because it was truly about the children.
What stood out to her most was the knowledge that every donation would directly benefit kids going through some of the hardest moments of their lives, giving them items of their own and a small measure of comfort, dignity, and care.
She said something that stopped me in my tracks:
“Every child deserves to feel valued, cared for, and know they matter.”
When asked what it brings up to think of a child carrying their belongings in a trash bag, Jennifer said it could make a child feel as disposable as the bag itself. That is exactly why this drive matters so much. No child should ever feel forgotten or thrown aside.
Jennifer continues to sponsor No More Trash Bags year after year because, in her words, the need is still there, and the children still need to know they are cared about and not forgotten.
She donates the backpacks, collects items at her office, and helps get the ball rolling, but she is quick to say this is never about one person doing everything. It becomes a true community effort, with many people stepping in to help however they can. Her belief is simple and powerful: someone has to be willing to start, stay consistent, and keep showing up for the kids.
That spirit says so much not only about Jennifer as a person, but about the values behind her business. She explained that her business is really just an extension of who she is, and that caring for children and the community has always mattered deeply to her. This is not about using a cause for business purposes. It is about loving your community enough to act.
When asked what community support looks like when it is done well, her answer was this:
“Empathy, compassion, caring, love, and all of us coming together to support one another when it matters most.”
And when asked why this cause deserves local attention, she put it plainly: because this is our community helping our community. Because children need us. Because the future of a community is shaped by how it cares for its kids.
For anyone who has been thinking about donating, Jennifer’s message is simple: if you can help, please do. Every donation matters. It does not have to be big. It just has to be something. Every act of kindness helps show these children they are cared for and not forgotten.
Her one-sentence answer for why people should support No More Trash Bags says it better than I ever could:
“Because this is about far more than backpacks. It is about making sure children know they are valued, cared for, and never forgotten.”
Jennifer, thank you for your faithful support, your compassion, and your willingness to keep showing up for the children of this community. It matters, and so do you.
