Starting off as a music major at Montana State University, Ames quickly became interested in politics when introduced to a non-profit working towards LGBTQIA2S+ justice.

Since then, Ames has continued to be involved with social justice oriented projects and non-profits. Upon graduating, Ames left their home state of Montana to move to Portland, Oregon and started working with a local non-profit as the Leadership Development Director. Ames also has state government experience, serving as Chief of Staff to a State Representative and the Clackamas County Regional Field Director for Governor Kate Brown’s re-election campaign. Directly before joining the PHFO team, Ames worked at a women owned and led consulting firm and helped strategize campaign plans and statewide legislation.

In their role at Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, Ames works with their colleagues state leaders to design legislation and policy that focuses on hunger related issues in Oregon.

Prior to working at Hunger-Free Oregon, Fatima had an extensive background in the social service sector where she worked to connect individuals to community resources, federal benefits, employment, stable housing, and other needs. Her experience in direct service work is where she believes her journey in advocacy work really began as she was often the first line of defense for many clients–educating them on their rights, helping them advocate, and navigating complex systems that were designed to exclude them. People are at the core of Fatima’s motivation–and she is deeply passionate about the movement for racial justice, the lifelong journey of achieving equity and justice, and work that supports grassroots social change. She strongly believes that in order to eradicate unjust systems, we have to center community voices and funnel the strength of those collective voices toward deep, structural changes.

Originally from northern Minnesota from a town located on the tip of Lake Superior, Fatima is generally judgemental about lakes and finds a nearby source of water essential for her survival. In her spare time, Fatima enjoys all things food related and thinks of cooking as her meditative space. Whenever she has a moment, Fatima loves traveling and is constantly in search of new experiences, so you may find her aimlessly wandering around the Portland Metro area. Fatima has a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and a BA in Journalism and International Studies from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Jacki has a passion for social justice, impactful design, and strategic thinking. She holds degrees in Anthropology and Gender Studies, and has spent over a decade in arts, nonprofits, and social justice spaces. She brings an intentional and community-centric approach to communications.

A Portland native, Jacki also enjoys hand-lettering, mini-farming, and circus arts.

Jaz is an Afro-Caribbean, queer, non- binary – heart-centered – educator, activist, farmer, forager and herbalist. They have a rich history in food systems work and have deep reverence for land and the communities who have acted as life-giving stewards since time immemorial.

Jaz is coming into their role as the Team Support Co-Executive Director with almost a decade of immersive food access, food justice, education, and land sovereignty experience. Alongside many years of working as a farm and garden educator, an equity consultant, a community organizer, a food systems program coordinator and manager, and a farmer; Jaz currently runs an Herbal Medicine Shop and platform called Heart Space Healing – which centers accessible and affordable herbal grief medicines. Our free medicine shop provides free herbal medicine to folx that hold marginalized identities across the country. They also co-steward a homestead and sanctuary called Ground Down Homestead that centers access to land, education, rest, community connection and food for Black, Brown, Trans and Queer folx. Jaz sees great promise that the practices of ancestral reclamation, somatic integration, and community care will create a fulfilling foundation to support in our liberation and the liberation of the generations to come.

When not at work you can find Jaz under a canopy of old growth trees, by a river, with their berry- stained hands in the soil, and their nose in a book (that’s probably about plants).

Mara joined Hunger-Free Oregon in 2022, bringing more than five years of experience in nonprofit fundraising and administration. She is passionate about supporting the sustainability and growth of organizations working collaboratively and collectively toward social change. Originally from Washington D.C., Mara worked with several organizations in New Orleans operating at the intersection of food, hospitality, and social justice, before moving to Portland in 2020. She is a recent graduate of the Certificate in Nonprofit Fundraising course at Willamette Valley Development Officers, and a firm believer in the power of organizational storytelling, community building, and community-centric fundraising principles.

When she’s not at work, you can find Mara making a mess in the kitchen or taking long walks with her partner and their dog.

Nel Taylor (they/them/theirs), Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation, is a development professional with nearly 10 years of donor relations and storytelling experience in the arts. Their introduction to fundraising came out of their transition from homelessness when they were 18 years old, advocating as a program participant in fundraising efforts. They have served on the board of directors at the Circus Project, graduated the Art of Leadership program through Regional Arts and Culture Council, and are currently taking the certificate in nonprofit fundraising course at Willamette Valley Development Officers. Nel was born and raised in Portland, OR, is an active participant in the social justice and activism community in Portland, and is a strong advocate for equity in nonprofit work. They are a musician and performer, an avid meditator, and an NBA fan.

Venus Barnes began her career at Partners For Hunger-Free Oregon early September 2019. At Partners for Hunger Free Oregon, Venus focuses on increasing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) access for Oregon college students by implementing a “train the trainer” model around informational outreach, positive messaging, stigma, and student eligibility. In addition to this work, Venus facilitates the SNAP Client Advisory Board, supporting SNAP participants in increasing equitable access to the program and shaping policy.

Previously, she served at Portland Community College as an Americorps member with Confluence Environmental Justice. She was the Learning Garden Coordinator and taught students and the community how to grow their own food and challenge our Western society food systems. A cornerstone of these efforts focused on the students experience and definition of food insecurity as food sovereignty.

For the last two years, Venus has worked closely with Resolutions Northwest, a Portland-based non-profit, and has served as a board member for the past year. This organization facilitates honest dialogue around race and racism to resolve conflict and advance racial and social justice through training and consultation in order to build skills and capacity within a community or institution. As part of this work, Venus recently designed and co-facilitated a Food and Race Workshop highlighting the intersection of racial justice and food systems in Oregon.

Sarah is passionate about aligning her labor with the work of collective liberation.  As the Community Food Justice Co-Executive Director, Sarah brings a richly diverse background in mutual-aide work, movement building, policy development, and nonprofit leadership to Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon.

Sarah’s history of liberation work includes aiding in resettling Iraqi refugees, consulting for nonprofit organizations up and down the West Coast, and co-founding Sunrise PDX. Sarah also served as the Director of Community Advocacy for Oregon House Rep. Zach Hudson’s office and in 2021 she secured ~$3M for a homeless services and workforce development hub in Rep. Hudson’s district.  She has also served as Chief of Staff to Rep. Lori Kuechler.

Sarah is a queer, cis, white mother to five children and spouse of an Emergency Room nurse. She is never outside of liberation work, but she is often outside – you may sometimes find her on her knees with a child on her lap examining a mushroom on the forest floor in the foothills of Wy’East.