Sarah Jenkins, Director of Community Programs

A Visionary Leader with a Deep Commitment to Social Justice
Sarah Jenkins has dedicated over fifteen years of her professional life to the fields of social work and non-profit management, bringing an unparalleled depth of experience and a truly compassionate heart to her role as Director of Community Programs at HEARTS OF HOPE FOUNDATION COMPANY. Holding a Master’s degree in Social Administration from a recognized university, her qualifications are matched only by her unwavering passion for designing and implementing high-impact, scalable programs that respect individual dignity while driving systemic change. Sarah is responsible for overseeing the curriculum of our “Skills for Success” training and managing the entire network of our community outreach initiatives, ensuring our support reaches the most underserved populations in the W231S7680 BIG BEND DR area. Her leadership philosophy emphasizes data-driven decision-making coupled with a deep, personal connection to the stories of our participants, ensuring that all programs are effective, culturally sensitive, and aligned with our core mission of fostering self-sufficiency. She believes strongly in the power of genuine listening as the first step to successful intervention and mentorship.

Javier Gomez, Community Engagement Coordinator

Javier Gomez is the driving force behind our relationship-first commitment, serving as the Community Engagement Coordinator with a natural gift for forging meaningful connections and advocating for our participants’ voices within the wider Big Bend ecosystem. Javier possesses a background in public administration and non-profit development, allowing him to strategically identify and cultivate enduring partnerships with local businesses, civic organizations, and government agencies, securing the vital resources and opportunities our participants need to thrive. His role involves organizing and leading our community listening sessions, ensuring that the foundation’s programs remain highly responsive to the evolving needs of the families we serve, thus embodying our core value that everyone has a voice and feels valued. Javier’s energetic and empathetic approach ensures that the foundation is viewed as a supportive collaborator, not just a service provider, fostering a true sense of mutual respect and shared responsibility between the organization and the diverse communities it is privileged to support.

Alice Chen, Program Operations Specialist

Alice Chen ensures the seamless, effective, and fully accountable operation of all HEARTS OF HOPE FOUNDATION COMPANY programs, serving as the essential Program Operations Specialist. With a degree in Business Administration and a meticulous eye for detail, Alice manages the logistics, scheduling, participant tracking, and resource allocation across our multiple training tracks, guaranteeing that every participant’s journey is smooth, consistent, and well-documented from enrollment to graduation. Her expertise in operational efficiency is crucial for maintaining the foundation’s credibility with donors and partners, as she oversees the reporting metrics that demonstrate our direct impact on self-sufficiency rates and community engagement. Alice’s commitment to excellence ensures that the staff can focus their energy on mentorship and teaching, confident that the underlying infrastructure is robust, ethical, and fully compliant with all non-profit standards. Her quiet competence and deep dedication to the mission make her an indispensable member of the team, embodying the value of accountability in every aspect of her work.

Mark Peterson, Lead Vocational Mentor

Mark Peterson joins the foundation as a Lead Vocational Mentor following a successful twenty-year career as a senior operations manager in the logistics and administrative sector, bringing a wealth of practical, corporate knowledge directly to our participants. He holds dual certifications in project management and adult education, leveraging this expertise to design and facilitate our most intensive skills training workshops, focusing particularly on professional communication, organizational efficiency, and foundational technical skills required in today’s digital workplace. Mark’s unique contribution is his ability to translate complex industry expectations into accessible, actionable training modules, ensuring that our graduates are not only certified but are genuinely workforce-ready, possessing the professional demeanor and understanding that employers actively seek. His personal mentorship style is characterized by firm, constructive guidance and relentless encouragement, drawing on his own career journey to inspire confidence and resilience in every individual he coaches, viewing their success as the ultimate measure of his own professional accomplishment.