Jennifer Graffius Henry, a lifelong Bakersfield resident and dedicated nonprofit leader, traces her deep roots in the community back to her early childhood. Born in Burbank, California, she moved to Bakersfield before turning two, making it the only home she has ever truly known.
“This has always been home,” Henry reflected. She fondly recalls learning her first letter of the alphabet: the letter “K” from the iconic K-Mart sign her mother passed while driving up Highway 99 from Los Angeles to visit her father, before the family fully relocated from Saugus.
Growing up, Henry’s family owned the pro shop and snack bar at Kern City Golf Course, where her father served as head golf pro and her mother worked as a registered nurse in the emergency room at Memorial Hospital. “I learned a lot about hard work, service, and community just by watching them,” she said.
During her high school years, from 1985 to 1989, Henry attended West High School, where she proudly identified as a Viking. She was a senior during the memorable West–Bakersfield football game that sold out at Bakersfield College. “For the record, no, Deondra’s knee absolutely did not touch the ground on the last kick-off return,” she insisted with a smile.
Henry remained highly involved at West High, participating in the swim team, yearbook staff, West High Dance Company, and Wings for Life, an American Cancer Society high school club. Through the Dance Company, she earned a college scholarship, and as part of Wings for Life’s leadership team, she helped organize events such as the ACS kids’ Christmas party, a swim party for children heading to Ronald McDonald Camp, breast self-exam lessons in PE classes, and a fundraising car wash at California and H Street. “That experience planted seeds I didn’t even realize at the time,” Henry noted.
After brief periods in Long Beach and Westwood for college, Henry returned to Bakersfield, where she has resided ever since. Her career path led her back to cancer support work; she joined Links for Life in 2005 as Executive Director. Under her leadership, the organization has grown into one of Kern County’s most supported local charities. Prior to that role, she worked with the American Cancer Society, which further solidified her commitment to serving those impacted by cancer.
In 2023, Henry received the prestigious Nonprofit Professional of the Year award from the Kern Alliance of Non-profits. “That recognition truly reflects the work of an amazing team and a community that shows up in powerful ways,” she said.
Among her proudest achievements at Links for Life is the nutrition education and grocery card program, launched in 2019 with grant funding from the Virginia and Alfred Harrell Foundation. The initiative has assisted thousands of individuals and families facing breast cancer by providing essential food access, becoming one of the organization’s fastest-growing programs.
Henry is also deeply invested in the scholarship program, which supports young people whose families have been affected by breast cancer as they pursue post-high school education. The program draws inspiration from a close friend who lost her mother to the disease during high school yet went on to become a doctor of psychiatry. “Her story is a constant reminder of resilience, hope, and the power of support,” Henry emphasized.
On a personal level, Henry has been married to her husband, Matt, for nearly 30 years. They have two children: Madden and Jensen.
With her children mostly out of the house, Henry has taken up a new challenge: learning to play golf. “Wish me luck,” she quipped.
