Why I Give: Jill Duncan

Jill Duncan is a new member of the Food Moxie board.

What’s your experience working in nonprofits or serving on a board? This is my first board experience, and I’m truly looking forward to serving. I’ve dedicated my professional career to the nonprofit sector because I’ve always had a passion for helping others. While I figured out that direct service wouldn’t be a good fit for me (I wanted to be a psychologist), the desire to serve my community remained. Thanks to an opportunity afforded me by Scott Schaffer, a former executive director of Philabundance, I discovered that I had a knack for accounting. I believe providing an organization with a strong foundation allows those who can to serve our neighbors in need.

How did you get involved with Food Moxie? I’ve worked for Philabundance for 16 years. I wanted to work with a grassroots organization — one that truly served the basic needs of people. It doesn’t get more basic than food. I believe that Food Moxie is a great fit for my interests. I appreciate the added component of nutrition education because good health is crucial for living your best life.

What are your areas of expertise? Finance and accounting, gifts processing/data management.

What do you want to accomplish as a board member? I want Food Moxie to grow and thrive and be a better organization. I’m also looking forward to the learning experience of being on a board.

Describe your experience with gardening or urban agriculture. Not much — although I love to eat fresh fruit and vegetables! I actually built my own flower boxes a couple of summers ago and having been trying (not always successfully) to maintain a fully seasonal flower garden.

What is your favorite fruit/vegetable? I’m nearly addicted to a daily banana but I’m also a big fan of strawberries, pineapples, watermelon, grapes, apples and oranges. Sorry — no way to pick a favorite!!

What’s your favorite part of Philadelphia? Philly is such a beautiful city — so much to love. Whenever I’m showing the city off to out-of-town visitors, I always do the Kelly/King drives loop and the Waterworks and then a trip to Penn’s Landing.

Fun fact about yourself? I’d love to operate a wrecking ball — clear out some grubby old buildings and make way for some neighborhood-friendly green-space!