Our team
The Compassionate Faces Driving Our Mission
Sarah Chen, Executive Director
Sarah Chen is the driving force and organizational heart behind HEARTS OF HELPING HANDS, bringing over fifteen years of dedicated experience in non-profit management, community organizing, and social work within the Pacific Northwest. Her professional foundation is rooted in a deep understanding of systemic poverty and trauma-informed care, having previously served as a program director for a regional housing authority, where she specialized in developing sustainable transition pathways for chronically unhoused populations. Sarah holds a Master’s degree in Social Policy from the University of Washington, and her academic focus on hyper-local resource allocation directly informs HOHH’s commitment to community-driven need identification. Under her leadership, the organization has secured crucial funding and scaled its mentorship program significantly, always prioritizing the dignity and voice of every client. Sarah believes that the most effective leaders are those who stay closest to the ground, regularly volunteering in the resource pantry and participating in outreach events to maintain a firsthand perspective on the community’s evolving needs, ensuring that HOHH’s strategies are always compassionate, relevant, and highly effective.
Marcus Jones, Programs & Volunteer Coordinator
Marcus Jones manages the complex logistics of all HOHH service delivery and serves as the primary liaison for our hundreds of dedicated community volunteers, a role that requires exceptional organizational skill and boundless enthusiasm. A lifelong resident of Tacoma, Marcus came to HOHH with a background in corporate operations and logistics, offering a unique blend of efficiency and heartfelt commitment to the mission. He utilizes his project management expertise to streamline the process of resource distribution, ensuring that food, clothing, and supplies move efficiently from donation to the hands of those who need them without delay. Marcus is also responsible for designing and implementing our volunteer training curriculum, which focuses heavily on trauma-informed communication and cultural sensitivity, ensuring every volunteer interaction is respectful and constructive. His passion lies in mobilizing community generosity; he meticulously matches volunteer skills and availability with the immediate programmatic needs, fostering a rewarding experience for those giving their time while maximizing the impact on the client population. Marcus ensures that our commitment to “hands-on support” remains a vibrant, well-coordinated reality every single day.
Dr. Elena Rodriguez, Empowerment Workshop Facilitator
Dr. Elena Rodriguez is an integral member of the HOHH team, specializing in creating and facilitating our core workshops on financial literacy, job readiness, and emotional resilience. With a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and a decade of experience in adult education, Elena possesses the deep academic credentials and practical experience required to develop curriculum that is both evidence-based and deeply accessible to all members of the community, regardless of their prior educational background. Her focus is on dismantling the psychological barriers that often accompany periods of instability, helping clients rebuild their self-esteem and develop actionable strategies for long-term goal achievement. Elena’s teaching style is noted for its warmth, non-judgmental approach, and interactive nature, creating a safe and encouraging environment where participants feel comfortable sharing their struggles and celebrating their successes. She understands that education is the ultimate tool for empowerment, and her tireless work ensures that HOHH clients leave her workshops not just with information, but with a renewed sense of confidence and a clear, personal roadmap toward stability.
David Kim, Community Outreach Specialist
David Kim is the frontline presence of HEARTS OF HELPING HANDS, dedicated to building and maintaining relationships with key community stakeholders, including local schools, business owners, and faith leaders throughout the Tacoma area. David’s work is foundational to our mission of “engaging with local communities to identify needs,” as he spends the majority of his time outside the main office, actively listening and establishing trust within neighborhoods that often view external organizations with skepticism. Prior to joining HOHH, David worked for various local government initiatives, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the regional resource landscape and the complexity of accessing public benefits. His role involves coordinating joint efforts for seasonal drives, organizing neighborhood needs assessments, and acting as an advocate for clients navigating complex systems. David’s patient, empathetic nature and ability to speak several languages make him an invaluable asset, ensuring that HOHH is always perceived not as an outside entity, but as a genuine, accessible partner, whose actions are always informed by authentic local intelligence and respect.
Community & Engagement
Cultivating Mutual Support and Strategic Local Alliances
At HEARTS OF HELPING HANDS, our model is not one of passive reception but of active partnership, where the families and individuals we serve are considered essential stakeholders and collaborators in our programs, fundamentally redefining the concept of “client involvement.” We actively encourage and rely on client feedback through regular surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one communication with our case managers to continually refine and improve the services we offer, ensuring they remain relevant, culturally sensitive, and practically effective. We host a monthly “Community Voice Forum” where clients are invited to share their experiences, suggest new program ideas, and even participate in the volunteer team in roles they feel comfortable with, fostering a powerful sense of ownership over the organization’s success. This active involvement is rooted in dignity; by offering opportunities for clients to contribute their own time, insights, and skills, we affirm their value as contributing members of the community, shifting the dynamic from one of dependency to one of mutual support and shared responsibility for the well-being of the Tacoma area.
Join Our team
Building a Professional Team Dedicated to Community Empowerment
HEARTS OF HELPING HANDS offers deeply fulfilling career opportunities for passionate professionals who are committed to making a measurable, positive impact on the social and economic health of the Tacoma community. Our professional roles span a variety of critical functions, including direct service positions like Case Managers and Empowerment Workshop Facilitators, who work one-on-one with clients to develop and execute personalized plans for stability and self-sufficiency, requiring strong backgrounds in social work, counseling, or adult education. We also offer essential roles in Operations and Development, such as Grant Writers, Volunteer Coordinators, and Administrative Staff, whose efforts are crucial for securing the resources and managing the logistics that keep our programs running efficiently and transparently. Joining our team means committing to a hands-on, highly collaborative, and dignity-centered approach to service, where every staff member is expected to maintain a deep, empathetic connection to the community and a professional rigor in executing their duties. We prioritize hiring individuals with lived experience in the community we serve, as their unique perspectives are invaluable in shaping our most effective policies and ensuring our programs are culturally relevant and impactful for our neighbors.
