As executive director of House of Bread for the past 13 years, Melodie Bennett personifies the mission of the organization and can most often be found in the dining room, warmly greeting guests, listening and providing connections to needed resources.“The people who most feel her influence day in and day out are those who come to the House of Bread and know they can count on its services always being available to them,” her nominator wrote.“The guests who arrive at House of Bread, some 70 percent of whom are African-American, include elderly neighborhood residents, people who are working poor, or who are dealing with homelessness or mental-health situations. Some are fleeing domestic violence and arrive with their children. All are welcome every day at House of Bread, and Melodie and her hard-working staff are there to welcome them.”Under Melodie’s leadership, the House of Bread received two awards in 2021: the Dayton Better Business Bureau’s Integrity Award and the Agency of the Year in Ohio by the National Association of Social Workers.Melodie has served on numerous community boards over the years, including the local Big Brothers/Big Sisters and YMCA Dayton. She is a College Promise mentor and was a member of the 2017 class of Leadership Dayton. She was named a Top 25 Woman to Watch by Women in Business Networking.