Minneapolis Chapter Founder Recalls Intense Early Days

In the early 1970s, Lilo and Michel Salmon-Legagneur, founders of the first Little Brothers of the Poor Chapter in America in the heart of Chicago, were looking for an executive director to lead the next expansion site outside of the Windy City. They found their leader in a young Bonnie Esposito, a hard-working Little Brothers assistant who managed a caseload of 60 older adults in North Chicago for three years.

Bonnie was excited by the opportunity to live and work in a new expansion city alongside her High School sweetheart and then-husband Frank Esposito. Frank shared Bonnie’s passion for helping older adults and volunteered with the Chicago chapter. 

Bonnie and Frank narrowed down the locations to Milwaukee and Minneapolis. “The demographics for Minneapolis/St. Paul was perfect, and being further away allowed us a bit more independence.”