As a community engagement professional, my commitment to local development is grounded in a deep dedication to service. Whether working independently or alongside a team, I bring focused energy to initiatives that foster creative growth and meaningful social change. My work centers on supporting social enterprises, homeless services, and transitional employment programs – spaces where real opportunity is created for people actively rebuilding their lives. I am drawn to the intersection of purposeful work, authentic community connection, and lasting impact.
Recent Projects
Initiatives focused on community support, advocacy, and meaningful impact for the people and families we serve
Expanded Life Chances, Across Ages & Places
Employment as a Health Intervention
Homeless Garden Project (HGP) focuses on job training and transitional employment opportunities for unhoused individuals in Santa Cruz County. Through first-round Opioid Settlement funding, HGP launched an employment training program specifically designed for people in recovery from opioid addiction. The initial four-week program combined résumé workshops, hands-on farm work, and opportunities to connect with local employers.
What’s Inspiring Me Now
The book argues that homelessness is not about individuals lacking resources, but about a system where “hard work and determination” no longer guarantee safety.
“Movements need to become the practice ground for what we are healing towards, co-creating” (p. 57).
Youth Development & Media
With a Bachelor of Arts in Film & Video and a Master of Science in Social Work, my goal is to call upon both of these disciplines to work with young adults throughout all aspects of life – celebrating successes and processing challenges together – in spaces that are rich with creativity, self-expression, and social emotional learning. I have seen first-hand how powerful a tool media is, whether it be music, video, photography, writing, or spoken word. The possibilities are endless! Take a look at the videos above to learn more about The Loudest Pen, a successful outreach campaign that utilized video, music, rap, and poetry to teach teenagers about health and life skills. My goal is to continue collaborating with creatives to offer more opportunities like this one.
A collection of lines I keep coming back to
Writers, thinkers, and the occasional fortune cookie
“As a human being I acknowledge that my well-being depends on others and caring for others’ well-being is a moral responsibility I take seriously. It’s unrealistic to think that the future of humanity can be achieved on the basis of prayer or good wishes alone; what we need is to take action. Therefore, my first commitment is to contribute to human happiness as best I can.”
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
“Sure, I get frustrated. But washing one’s hands of conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.”
Paulo Freire
“Instead of bringing back sixteen thousand new plant species, we might return from our journeys with a collection of small, unfeted but life-enhancing thoughts.”
Alain de Botton
“Everyone has his or her own way of learning things. His way isn’t the same as mine, nor mine as his. But we’re both in search of our destinies, and I respect him for that.”
The Alchemist
“The hope and conviction that transformation is possible, that ‘the way things are is not the only way that they can be.’”
Training for Transformation in Practice
Evan Jones, MSW 