Gabriela Chicas
As a FEAST Health Educator, Gaby's focus is to help improve the wellbeing and nutrition of participants in FEAST programs through our communities.
Gaby has an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts and Child Development from East Los Angeles College. She is also a FEAST program graduate and has many other certificates from different non-profit organizations and has been involved in many parent organizations fighting for better academic education, women's rights, and better health services for immigrants. All this experience and preparation has helped Gaby to promote the FEAST program to new schools and bring more awareness of FEAST in her community.
In her free time she loves to go hiking and ziplining with her family, spend time with her dog, and enjoy nature by visiting our national parks. She also dedicates some of her free time to groups that support equality in her community.
Maria Thalia Carmona
As a FEAST Health Educator, my role is to empower our communities with knowledge, resources, and to create community amongst each other. To facilitate learning from each other, give support, and create self awareness in a holistic wellbeing. To cook easy, healthy recipes and see the gratification of interest and curiosity that awakens the community to feel that they can also accomplish eating healthier. Lessons in classes like Reading labels, Fiber, Eating on a Budget and Eating Out Survival Guide, make community members value the power of knowing that a healthier lifestyle is achievable with the right information to make better choices. I am here to embrace the community with dignity and respect and offer the best of my knowledge and resources to help them in their journey to a healthier lifestyle.
Born in Mexico, Puebla and raised in San Fernando Valley and now living in South LA for over 20 years. I am married and a mother of 2 boys and a girl, my role as a parent is the most important job and the hardest. My transition from being a young woman to a mother wasn't easy, yet the unconditional love I feel for my children gave me the courage, strength, passion, and leadership to commit to improving our world.
In July 2019, I graduated from the Esperanza Community Housing Promotora training. In this training I was introduced to the different resources our community had, and the different struggles we were facing. I understood the value of the promotora and the promotora heart driven force to provide a bridge of connection from organizations to communities spaces. The importance of being a member of the community, brought a special connection to building relationships and partnerships with organizations and commitment to bring resources and information to our communities, in a language and dialogue that connects to the community’s needs and wants.
As a Senior Core Parent member at CADRE (Community Asset Development Re Defining Education) I value learning from the experiences of other parents and community members in their struggles and achievements in advocating for their children's education and human rights. Our vision is to end the School to Prison Pipeline and Dismantle the school police. We imagen a different kind of school safety, to support our children's wellbeing in all different areas. Our goal is creating systemic changes, and we could only do that together, with the Solidarity between African Americans and Brown parents and community members.
As a promotora against Violence with ELAWC (East Los Angeles Women Center) I give workshops to the communities in topics like Domestic Violence, Sexual Abuse, Stalking, and Violence Among Young Couples. To promote awareness, knowledge, resources and to give voice to all the survivors of violence.
I enjoy time outside in nature with my children, watching them grow in every phase and being actively involved in their education and extracurricular activities. I love having long deep conversations with my Mom and learning from her. Enjoy watching sci fi and horror movies with my husband. I am grateful for my Couch aka my brother Isaac Arcos, who pushes me and believes in me. Helping me improve and be my physical best, with exercises like kickboxing, Cardio training, running, and weight training. I enjoy making succulent pot arrangements and giving them to my loved ones. My best way to unwind is to sing and dance.
Yolanda Martin
As a FEAST Educator my mission is to educate and uplift the community in
knowing that food is medicine and education saves lives.
I am a native of Shreveport, Louisiana and grew up in Inglewood, California.
My Degree is in Liberal Arts and I am a Master Certified Nutrition and Wellness
Coach. I am also a Chef for seniors and former owner operator of Contour Salads.
My passion for healthy cooking gained me the title Chef Yolanda while working
with the Non-Profit (Black Women for Wellness). I worked under the title, kitchen
Diva. I really enjoyed sharing my knowledge and teaching patients at Kaiser
Permanente how to advocate for their own heath.
In my spare time I love spending time tending to my garden, reading books of
various genres, creating new recipes, visiting local botanical gardens, riding my
bike on the beach and spending time with family.
Erika Avila
My name is Erika Avila, Mother of Family
Originally from Mexico so my main language is Spanish. I am a student of the English language.
With a great capacity to learn from people and a vocation to help the community, I like being a Feast Health Educator as it gives me the opportunity to meet many people and help them on their way to better health. I will always be willing to help in whatever I am allowed to make our world better. Feel free to contact me if you need anything from me.
Mi Nombre es Erika Avila, Madre de Familia
Originaria de México por lo que mi idioma principal es Español, estudiante del idioma Inglés.
Con una gran capacidad de aprender de las personas y vocación de ayuda a la Comunidad, me gusta ser Feast Health Educators ya que me da la oportunidad de conocer muchas personas y ayudar en su camino a la mejora de la salud. Siempre estaré dispuesta a ayudar en lo que se me permita para que nuestro mundo esté mejor.
Siéntete libre de contactarme si necesitas algo de mi.
