San Fernando Valley native, Ana Ayala has joined the Project Open Hand team as Vice President of Programs after ten years living in San Francisco and working at places including AIDS Walk San Francisco and Catholic Charities, where she held roles ranging from administrative to events, development, and fundraising.
For the past five years, Ana worked in programs at Catholic Charities. She speaks fondly of her role in Star Community Home -- a shelter for women and children, which Ana helped implement within a three-week timespan. The project was intended to only run for 18 months, but was so successful that it is still active today.
“It was rewarding to be in a larger organization and see all the facets that go into running a nonprofit,” says Ana, who speaks with a humble and calm demeanor. “It’s given me a full rounded picture of nonprofit operations, and I feel very fortunate to have had that experience.”
Ana is an avid traveler who recently visited Cuba. She frequents indoor climbing gyms, and likes to hike and camp -- “typical San Francisco hobbies,” she laughs. “And I like beer. Beer is a hobby to me.”
As a diabetic, Ana fully grasps the idea of food being vital on a personal level, but also as a basic right.
“It never escaped me how frustrating it was that there was a high-end grocery store but a food desert right outside the door for any low-income person that lives in the neighborhood,” says Ana, recalling days of working near a high-end grocery store. “That sort of level of disparity in a city with so much wealth has always irked me and has led me to work in social services. There shouldn’t be a reason these resources are so limited to some, and so in excess for others.”
At the forefront of Ana’s priorities is strategy -- coming up with strong data evaluation and assessment for our programs here at Project Open Hand.
“I’m looking forward to engaging new clients, bringing back clients that may have fallen out, and being out in the community. If you aren’t out in the community you aren’t really hearing the needs of the population.”
Q: What is the meaning of life?
A: I’ve always thought of life as energy, and there’s a lot of good and positive energy in the world. That’s my religion. There’s positive energy and negative energy and you choose which you are, and I like to be positive and share that with the world.
Q: What is your spirit animal?
A: Elephants. I love them. They have really good memories and so do I. They are pack animals, and I like to be with my pack. They’re caring about one another...elephants cry! And they protect one another.
Q: Current anthem to your life?
A: "Girl on Fire" - Alicia Keys
Q: What were your initial thoughts when coming into Project Open Hand?
A: This is a group of very passionate people. There’s a lot of pride in the work being done and the fact that the work is so tailored to specialty diets...there's a lot of pride in this model that’s so specific to POH, which is cool. This staff is really committed to the work being done here. They are invested in what they do. And the level of support our team has to one another is very apparent, even to someone as new as me.
Q: Favorite recipe to make?
A: I really like making stir-fry because you can vary them a lot based on season, proteins, etc.
Q: Can you name a moment that changed you forever?
A: When I got a dog as a kid. I remember the first time loving and caring for something like that. I remember taking him for walks and focusing my energy on a sweet, lovable puppy. I remember making that connection, and recognizing the value of dogs. He was a Lab/German Shepard. His name was Pokey.
Q: What does meals with love mean to you?
A: It means caring about a community that is underserved in a lot of ways. We live in a community that has so much wealth but there’s still so many pockets that are underserved or don’t receive resources. There is a supportive network here. You can tell just by walking in the kitchen -- there’s a lot of love that goes into creating those meals. There’s a lot of attention that’s given to that. It’s healthy, and tasty and enjoyable. There is an attentiveness and care here, you can feel it.