Supporter Spotlight: Bodega
Celebrating a Partnership that Keeps Giving Back
Bodega has been a West End House champion and supporter for over a decade. Through their very generous in-kind apparel donations and sought-after internships, Bodega provides real-life employment opportunities within a business culture that values art, design, music, sports and self-expression. Most recently, Bodega donated over 1,000 KN95 masks to West End House! This contribution is essential to keeping our community safe and healthy.
Our relationship with Bodega began in 2009 when co-founder and owner Jay Gordon attended our Annual Celebration event and met West End House member Kevin Depina. At age 17, Kevin showed tremendous promise and potential, and a passion for entrepreneurship. This networking opportunity between Jay and Kevin at our Annual Celebration event led to Kevin’s internship that summer at Bodega and started a mentoring relationship that continues to this day.
As Kevin continued to demonstrate his business acuity beyond his initial internship, the Bodega team, including founders and co-owners Dan Natola and Oliver Mak, interviewed and hired Kevin for a full-time role managing sales and operations for their Boston store. Just as they opened the door to opportunities for Kevin, now he is able to pass those experiences on to the next generation of West End House youth. Kevin currently serves as a member of our Board of Advisors and became the first young alumnus to join that Board. He is a mentor and example of what hard work and persistence can accomplish.
In 2019, at our Annual Celebration event, Kevin served as our keynote speaker, reflecting on how his experiences at West End House prepared him for such leadership roles.
“Luckily for me and thousands of other kids like me, I had West End House to help raise the ceiling of expectations and expose me to ideas and experiences that shaped my life,” said Kevin.
Bodega continues to shape the lives of the leaders of tomorrow by partnering with West End House. Thank you Jay, Oliver, Dan, Kevin, and the rest of the Bodega team. We look forward to continuing our partnership with you!
Photos: https://bdgastore.com/
