Q: What does it mean to you to be named the Executive Director of the West Valley Food Pantry?  

A: “Enter to learn, leave to serve” was my college’s motto, although I didn’t feel the full pull toward social justice and community engagement until years later. After working as a bookkeeper, auditor, event planner, database manager, and high school admissions director, I ultimately found my way into nonprofit fundraising and communications. It was there that I felt a clear calling to work with organizations whose mission, location, and, most importantly, the people they serve truly mattered to me.

Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, I have always felt a deep connection to the many neighborhoods, cultures, and communities that make up our region. Serving people in my hometown who need help most is near and dear to my heart. At the same time, it is simply unacceptable that in the United States today, hundreds of thousands of people struggle with food insecurity on a regular basis. I believe access to healthy, nutritious food is a human right, and when the opportunity to lead the West Valley Food Pantry opened up, I felt called to serve my community. I am both thrilled and humbled to lead this organization and to ensure we are helping as many people as possible.

Q: The West Valley Food Pantry has been in existence for 50 years. How do you plan to honor and protect that legacy while continuing to grow and evolve the organization?

A: When Margaret Shively founded a small food closet at Prince of Peace Episcopal Church in 1975, I wonder if she ever imagined what it would become. Since 1985, the West Valley Food Pantry has rallied congregations and community members to provide nonperishable food donations, groceries from Community Food Resources (now the L.A. Regional Food Bank), and financial support from many local sources. These foundations of community partnership remain strong today.

While our roots endure, we have grown exponentially from serving three to five families per week in our earliest days. Today, we provide food to tens of thousands of households every year, an effort made possible by a wide network of partners, neighbors, corporate sponsors, and caring individuals.

In the years ahead, our goal is to expand our reach throughout the West Valley, both among those we serve and those who wish to volunteer or support our work. There are many opportunities to deepen connections with schools, elected officials, businesses, congregations, and community groups, and we look forward to bringing these partners together to strengthen our impact.

Q: In your first month as Executive Director, what have you learned about our clients, volunteers, and community that has most deeply impacted you?

A: This first month has given me the opportunity to witness steadfast volunteers, deeply caring staff members, and everyday people who need our assistance. Our volunteers work tirelessly, in heat, wind, and rain, to deliver help with a smile and without judgment. Our staff show consistent kindness and compassion to clients while working incredibly hard behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly. Their passion for this place and its people is truly inspiring.

Most importantly, I have had the privilege of learning the stories of the people we serve: senior citizens living in low-income housing, a mother and daughter navigating tough times, and families who have experienced recent layoffs and are searching for work while their savings run low. The reasons people come to us are many and unique, but the opportunity to be there for them, whether once or every single week, is a responsibility and a blessing I do not take lightly.

Q: What values or guiding principles are most important to you as you lead the pantry into its next chapter?

A: The West Valley Food Pantry is guided by five core values: compassion, empathy, communication, flexibility, and collaboration. These values serve as a roadmap for how we fulfill our mission of ending hunger in the San Fernando Valley. They are not just important to me as a leader, but to all of us as a community working together toward that goal.

Q: What excites you most about this moment in the pantry’s history?

A: Under Debbie Decker’s tremendous leadership, the organization successfully navigated the pandemic, wildfires, and countless other challenges, culminating in a powerful show of community trust through the capital campaign and the construction of the building that now houses the West Valley Food Pantry.

We now stand on the precipice of “what’s next.” There are tremendous opportunities to grow all three of our core programs: drive-thru grocery distribution, the walk-up window for unhoused individuals, and senior grocery delivery. We also have a service center room in the southeast corner of our building that is ready to host drop-in services and partnerships with other nonprofits, allowing clients to access additional support while they are already here for food.

Looking further ahead, the organization, guided by our board and informed by staff and volunteers, will continue to explore how we provide food and consider which additional services may best support our community. As they say, more to come.

Q: When you need to recharge after a long day, what’s your go-to way to unwind?

A: A Jazzercise dance fitness class, a hike outdoors with my dog, or a glass of wine with loved ones.

Q: If you could share one fun or unexpected fact about yourself with our pantry community, what would it be?

A: I am the youngest of seven children and have 14 nieces and nephews!

Q: And finally, the hardest question of them all, what is your favorite condiment and why?  

A: Garlic aioli – savory, versatile, and a little bit of zing that sticks around afterward!

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