Executive director of the Faith Neighborhood Center in Groveland. 

Photo: Nicole Hamel

Vital Stats: 

• Has been a nurse for 30 years.
• Nominated to the Lake County Women’s Hall of Fame in 2018.
• Started South Lake High School’s Certified Nursing Assistant Program in 2010.

About my organization: Faith Neighborhood Center is a food bank for low-income individuals and families in South Lake County. We serve 1,450 families twice a month, and 46 percent of our recipients are children. We’re not just a food pantry but also a family stabilizer. The money that they would otherwise budget for food can now be put toward keeping a roof over their heads. 

Passion for the job: A person’s access to food affects their health. I know this personally. My daughter, whom I adopted from China, was a malnutrition baby. That not only stunted her growth but also left her with birth defects and a lowered immune system. Adults cannot perform well in their job and students cannot thrive in school without proper nutrition. 

Nursing career: I earned a master’s of science in nursing degree from the University of Phoenix. I really enjoyed teaching nursing and seeing my students go on to graduate from nursing school and be accepted into medical school. I still consider myself a nurse and in my current role think of myself as a community health nurse.

Dogs or cats: Dogs. They provide unconditional love. My daughter has a service dog, a German shepherd, and he loves being beside her at all times.

Favorite musician: Adam Levine. I find his voice to be soothing.

Admired actress: Oprah Winfrey. She was wonderful in “The Color Purple.” I admire her personality.

Favorite sport: Soccer, because it’s fast-paced. With other sp

orts, you have a delay in action and many timeouts. Soccer just keeps on moving.

Desired epitaph: “She gave it her all in everything she did.”