Kandi was born in Rockford, but grew up 30 minutes away in the small country town of Oregon, IL. Her parents moved her to a small town from their hometown of Rockford to raise her in a different environment than what they grew up in, but Rockford was always her second home. Most of her aunts, uncles, and grandparents still lived in Rockford and she visited there often. She grew up in Oregon, went away to college in Chicago for fashion design and business, but returned to the Rockford area when her mother became seriously ill.
She grew up knowing and loving Jesus, but after her mother becoming so ill and a series of other trials, Kandi and her family began to have encounter after encounter with the Lord that led to her whole family stepping into a radically new relationship with Jesus. He miraculously began healing her mom and started using Kandi and her family, in their new home church in Rockford, Faith Center, as well as using their ongoing testimony in their family and community. God took Kandi on a much different path than she had planned, and it made her realize her calling to youth, the lost and broken, the addicted and hurting, but specifically the youth and people of Rockford.
She went on to become involved in youth ministry for 10+ years, worked for a period of time in an adolescent inpatient substance abuse rehab, and still call all of her past students/clients “her kids”. She is involved in worship ministry and continues to invest in the lives of her “kids”. She has a passion for revival, uniting the Church as one body and showing people the love of Jesus.
In her free time, she loves spending time with her nephew, Dawson, and her family and friends, spending time in nature kayaking and hiking, getting coffee and going thrifting, and traveling wherever and whenever she can.
She believes being Office Coordinator at Rock House Kids is a complete God-ordained thing and is so excited to be a part of a ministry that has, and continues to, help so many Rockford kids. She’s grateful to God for this opportunity and can’t wait to witness firsthand how God continues to pour out His love through Rock House Kids.
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.