Worcester Business Journal

8 Worcester Business Journal | August 19, 2019 | wbjournal.com 4 0 U N D E R F O R T Y 2 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y After struggling for more than 10 years to escape a life of prostition and substance abuse, Bell founded the nonprofit LIFT essentially out of necessity. After she was initially victimized by a 35-year-old brother of her friend, Bell's late teenage years were spent on the streets, trapped in prostitution until she found help a few years later. However, she would again fall into drug abuse at 24 and found herself on the streets of Worcester. At 33 and after another stint in jail, she found her way out: a collective of women who all struggled in lives of prostitution and were working to find a way out of the dangerous life. Bell founded LIFT five years ago and has helped more than 230 women escape to lives where they no longer have to sell their bodies. The nonprofit on Oct. 1 is opening Jana's Place, which Bell calls the first recovery home in the nation to specifically help women exiting prostitution and in recovery from substance abuse. Over the last year, Bell increased LIFT's annual operating budget from $23,000 to $1.9 million. The organization is partnering with the City of Worcester and the Worcester County District Attorney's Office to help end incarceration among women in prostitution, by offering diversion services with LIFT. – Z.C. If one meal could you eat for the rest of your life? Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. It still gives me comfort and reminds me of the short time I had with my incredible mother. Why do you live in Central Mass.? This is where I found my recovery and my inspiration for creating LIFT. Who is responsible for your success? My supportive family, my chosen tribe, the survivors, and team I work alongside give me strength and the fight to continue. Bowditch has been fundraising professionally for UMass since 2012, promoted to advancement officer last year. In just a year, Bowditch has grown the program by 85% and played an integral role in raising $2 million at the UMass Winter Ball, an all-time high in the 10 years for Central Massachusetts' premier fundraising event. She has found a calling for fundraising and donor relations after a decade- long career in special education, where she was a founding board member for Diamond is the Sky, a service for social gatherings for those with autism. Bowditch was given the 2015 Making a Difference award from the Worcester autism services agency HMEA's Autism Resource Central. Bowditch's yearning to give back comes from having grown up as the only biological child of a family with many foster children, including those with special needs. Bowditch is a lead volunteer on a committee planning a fall event for the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester and is a board member for the group Women in Development. She's served on the board for the Young Professional Women's Association. In April, she ran the Boston Marathon in honor of her uncle who died of ALS and helped raise $100,000 for the UMass ALS Cellucci Fund, a 30% jump from what UMass raised the prior year. – G.W. What four people would you like to travel with for a year? Michelle Obama, Mahatma Gandhi, J. K. Rowling and my dad. Wisdom, peace, cleverness and wit. Can't beat that squad! What would you tell an intern entering the nonprofit fundraising field? It is giving others an opportunity to contribute to something bigger than all of us. Be empowered by that. Julie Bowditch, 36 Advancement officer, community fundraising UMass Medical School & UMass Memorial Medical Center, Worcester Residence: Worcester Birthplace: Fitchburg College: Worcester State University Nicole Bell, 38 CEO Living In Freedom Together, Inc., Worcester Residence: Worcester Birthplace: Boston Education: Ph.D. from the streets George's Coney Island, Worcester

• Cover