We’re delighted to welcome six new staff members and interns to our team! Read their bios below to learn a bit more about them and why they joined FamilyWorks.
Nicole Freitas, (she/her) – Community Connector
Nicole grew up in San Jose CA and has been in Seattle for about 8 years. She graduated from SU with her B.S. in Psychology. Throughout college she worked with Bailey Gatzert Elementary and the SU Center for Community Engagement. After graduating she joined Americorps as a Family Engagement Program Coordinator at Gatzert. Through this work, Nicole discovered her passion to foster safe and accepting spaces for families to feel supported in and has helped to grow these spaces around Seattle. Outside of work Nicole can be found bouldering, learning pottery, or attempting trivia!
Kelly Groat, (she/her) – HungerCorps Food Access Coordinator
My name is Kelly, and I’m really excited to join the team! I reside near Green Lake with my husband, daughter, and our two pups. My hobbies include beachcombing and painting, and I love pandas and the color green. For a long time, I thought being a teacher was my dream, and after four years of teaching preschool I decided that was not the case for me. Eventually I found employment with a food bank in Snohomish County, where I spent over a year. This time helped me realize that my true passion lies in serving my community and working towards ending hunger. I have learned so much about this line of work and am very much looking forward to meeting everyone and working with you all.
Ron Ketelhut, (he/him) – Community Connector
Hi! My name is Ron, and I am thrilled to join the FamilyWorks team as a Community Connector. New to Seattle by way of New Orleans, I have a Masters in Social Work from Tulane University and have been working in school and communities as a classroom teacher then social worker for over a decade. I am deeply passionate about working in partnership with communities to help the grow even heathier and happier! One of my greatest professional and personal joys is spending time with kids, and I love working with caregivers (in both English and Spanish!) to ensure all children’s needs are met. Outside of work, I love being outdoors, camping, hiking, spending time with my dog, and cooking.
Rehana Lanewala, (she/her) – Director of Development & Communications
Rehana (“ray-hah-nuh”) Lanewala (“layne-wah-luh”), she/her, comes to FamilyWorks after nearly a decade at Launch in various fundraising and communications roles, where she worked to expand access to early learning, before & school, and summer programs for children, with a focus on supporting communities furthest from educational justice. She has nearly 15 years of experience in nonprofit resource generation, communications, and marketing, and has spent the bulk of her career at organizations newer to fundraising where she’s helped build fund development programs from the ground up. She is a co-founder of Community-Centric Fundraising, a BIPOC-led movement seeking to radically transform the way the nonprofit sector fundraises by taking an anti-racist and social justice approach. In addition, she is currently the Board Co-Chair at Small Faces Child Development Center, a nonprofit childcare organization in Crown Hill.
In her spare time, she can be found hanging out with her husband, 1-year-old son, and almost 11-year-old stepchild, hiking, binge-watching bad tv, taking way too many photos of her cats, or reading any book she can get her hands on. Originally from New Jersey, Rehana has a BA in Economics & International Relations from Bucknell University, where she was also a member of the track & field team.
Diana Mata García, (she/her) – Mobile Food Pantry Coordinator
Hola! My name is Diana, you can call me Di (She/her). I’m born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. I’ve been living in the USA since 2014. I’ve been a professional Chef for ten years and eventhough I love cooking and the hospitality industry I was looking for a break. Started as a volunteer a couple months ago and in that time I learned how energizing it is to help people and work with people that care about the world and try to make it better day by day. Very excited to be part of the team as a mobile food Pantry Coordinator.
Subigya Pandey, (she/her) – Social Work Intern
I grew up in Nepal, Hawaii, and most recently California, before moving to Seattle almost 3 years ago. During undergrad, my work experiences leaned more towards public and global health, and since undergrad I have pivoted more towards individuals and direct service. I worked as an Advocate at a DV/SA clinic in Silicon Valley before moving here, and recently worked for 2 years as a care coordinator at Eating Recovery Center/Pathlight Mood and Anxiety. I am looking forward to continuing working in the food space, and deepening my understanding of community services, policies, and barriers that systemically shape access to our most basic needs. In my free time, I love browsing farmers and seasonal markets, cooking and eating with loved ones, and have spent a lot of my summer dragonboat racing with my team in Seattle!