Meet the Morning Light team

Madison has been with Morning Light since 2017. She has a passion for using her communication, organization, and event knowledge to make a difference in the lives of others in the community. Since Madison joined Morning Light, the organization has nearly quadrupled its fundraising efforts, started a State Certified CNA school, and won education and storytelling awards. Madison has also brought holidays, celebrations, and quality of life activities to the organization and the Abbie Hunt Bryce Home. “For me, it’s about the celebration of life up until the end,” she says.

Madison has been responsible for coordinating the highest grossing fundraising events in Morning Light history, and the organization continues to break fundraising records year over year with her involvement. She is primarily responsible for staff leadership, organizational oversite, community partnerships, business development initiatives, media and press collaborations, promotional materials, and communications.

Madison works hard to cultivate community awareness and collaboration. Because of her work, the organization has been featured in the Indianapolis Star, received a wide variety of coverage on local radio and television stations, and has received both local and national awards. She now teaches her nonprofit communication and leadership methods nationally to help other organizations advance their missions as well.

Julia Yates is the Home and Case Manager of the Abbie Hunt Bryce Home.  Julia is responsible for admissions and management of the home.   She maintains a fundamental relationship with the patients, families, hospice partners, and AHBH staff to facilitate a caring and meaningful end of life experience.

Julia is proud of the innovative changes she has helped to bring to the AHBH which include a call light system, moving scheduling and record keeping to digital platforms, and implementing a more staff-centered scheduling structure.  Julia’s favorite aspect of her position is supporting families in their grief journey.  Julia has a BS in Social Work with a concentration on Gerontology from Manchester University.  In her spare time, Julia enjoys hanging out with her husband Bob and working on home improvements.

After five years of volunteering for Morning Light events, Brittany made the decision to join the mission full time! She brings 15 years of customer service experience, most recently managing a bank branch in Zionsville. Her attention to detail, creative ideas and passion for making individuals feel welcomed is what led her branch to succeed in a new market. Beyond serving her clients, Brittany consistently reported hundreds of volunteer hours a year, serving her church, Second Presbyterian and mentoring through Allies, Inc.

As an ordained deacon, Brittany chaired the Congregational Committee in 2020, whose purpose was to care for the home-bound and hospitalized members of her church, along with bereavement care and organizing the annual Memorial Service. She currently serves with the Congregational Care Network, a ministry in partnership with IU Health that matches patients who self-identify as isolated or lonely with companions to walk along side and connect them to services in their community once discharged from the hospital.

Brittany is excited to use her management and financial experience, coupled with her trauma-informed and spiritual training to help Morning Light reach a greater audience and build a volunteer program that will not only serve the Home, but the caregiving community as a whole.

Karen has been working with Morning Light for over 3 years. She came to the Abbie Hunt Bryce Home through her Certified Nursing Assistant training program at Crispus Attucks High School. She started as a caregiver in 2020. Karen graduated from Crispus Attucks in 2021 and dedicated her time to being a caregiver. She attended IUPUI for Social Work but took time a break when she had her daughter. Karen is planning on going back to school in 2024.

Karen is passionate about the Morning Light mission and is proud of the level of care that is provided in the Abbie Hunt Bryce Home. In her new position as Assistant Manager, Karen will be overseeing staff and teaching trainings, as well as providing patient care. She excited to help Morning Light’s caregiving staff develop and grow.

Rachel Ekwerike is the Administrative Assistant at Morning Light. She has been with the company since 2023 and will be the friendly face that greets you and assists with any donations or in-kind gifts when you enter the Abbie Hunt Bryce Home. She is also the communication lead to keep you informed of upcoming events and ways you can show support for the home. With a background in Applied Behavior Analysis, she has experience working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, where she was able to utilize both accredited behavior management therapy techniques and strong interpersonal communication to cultivate unique and enriching learning environments for a variety of children.

Rachel is happy to be a part of the Morning Light team and proactively creates safe spaces for vulnerable people and their loved ones. She is eager to learn more about end-of-life care and expanding her knowledge of solacing those experiencing grief. Rachel’s favorite part of her role is being able to assist with the ins and outs of running the home while also becoming an advocate for Morning Light and its unique mission in the hospice field. In her free time, Rachel loves to read, paint, and do yoga.

Drew Penick joined the Morning Light team in November of 2023. He has background in maintenance and construction including laying concrete, plumbing work, and general home preservation. At the Abbie Hunt Bryce Home, Drew is responsible for maintaining the outer and inner beauty of the home while also attending to our other property, Pennwood Place.

Drew is happy to be a part of the Morning Light team as it has given him experience working in a unique environment and he enjoys being able to help keep our home in tip-top condition in order to serve our community. In his free time, Drew enjoys watching the Colts and Pacers and playing basketball.