Meet Our Founder
Nancy Costello
Starting in 1971, Nancy collected food and other donations and would drive to farm communities six days a week. Every December she organized the collection of food, toys and warm clothing for special Christmas Baskets delivered to over 1,000 families. She realized that collaborating with local generous stores and churches made it possible for her to keep food and clothing stacked on her flatbed truck. Nancy would rise at dawn to load her cargo and would spend the day making her deliveries in Salinas, Greenfield and the farmworker camps in the Salinas Valley. She continued her deliveries until May 2013, when at age 94 she turned the responsibility over to a group of volunteers. Since her passing in September of 2013, we have more than 50 volunteers that are now carrying on the work that she did.
Nancy’s Project strives to improve the health and well-being of Monterey County farm worker families by providing food, clothing, household goods and enrichment items.
Meet Our Board of Trustees
Chair
Betty Kasson
Retired Nurse Practitioner, Carmel Valley, CA
Treasurer
Arthur W. Pasquinelli
Management Consultant, Monterey, CA
Secretary
Martha Barbero
Retired Bilingual Teacher, Monterey, CA
Board Member
Rodger Langland
Retired Meteorologist, Carmel Valley, CA
Board Member
Molly Briseño
Marketing Manager, Salinas, CA
Board Member
Orlando Rivas
Community Service Food Pantry Director for Helping Others Hispanic Seventh Day Adventist Church in Salinas, CA and Worker for the Veterans and Homeless Community @HomeFirst, San Jose, CA