Alondra Alvarado (she/her/ella)

President & CEO

email: alondra@sdhunger.org

Alondra Alvarado was born in Lakeview Terrace, CA and raised in Tijuana, Mexico. She is the first in her extended family to graduate from college with a degree in psychology from the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) and completed the Political Communications and Strategic Governance course with the George Washington University in 2017. Alondra moved to the United States in 2015 and prior to her career in San Diego, her work experience included Chief of Staff to a Councilmember for Tijuana’s City Council and Media and Public Relations Advisor for the Baja California State Congress.

Alondra’s professional path in San Diego has been motivated by advocating for traditionally underserved communities and serving as a liaison between communities, services and advocacy, bringing opportunities and resources closer to them.

She joined the San Diego Hunger Coalition as Director of Marketing and Communications in June 2023 as she felt the need to start using her lived and professional experience to help reduce the number of families in her community facing nutritional insecurity and was promoted to President & CEO in December of the same year.

Alondra has volunteered in a variety of organizations such as Castro-Limón Foundation in Mexico and Reality Changers in San Diego. She also has served as board secretary of San Diego & Imperial County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and she as a board member with San Diego Friends of the Public Library.

Passions: During her personal time, you can find Alondra watching a Padres game with her brother while they discuss Star Wars theories, spending time at museums and libraries with her 8-year-old niece or traveling within the state of Baja California scouting for new locally-owned spots.

Sarah D’Agostino (she/her)

Director of Operations

email: sarah@sdhunger.org

Sarah D’Agostino joins the San Diego Hunger Coalition with an extensive background in Customer Service stemming from over a decade in Retail and Event Management.  Sarah spent 4 years in Motorsports as an integral part of the Non-Profit Promotor team in Detroit, MI before moving to New Orleans, LA to assist in its inaugural IndyCar race; leading the development and management of the Hospitality and Volunteer Programs. Sarah received a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts & Studies with a minor in Business Administration from Wayne State University.

Relocated from Detroit, Michigan in 2019; she’s fulfilled a lifelong dream of moving to San Diego and thrilled to work for an organization whose mission so positively impacts the community.  Sarah works closely with the CEO to monitor the needs of the organization and staff, and to manage financials, human resources, event planning and general office functions.

Passions: Sarah loves traveling to new places, watching movies, and throwing darts with her wife.

Mauricio Medina (he/him)

Senior Public Affairs Manager

email: mauricio@sdhunger.org

Mauricio Medina is San Diego Hunger Coalition’s Public Affairs Manager. Born and raised in San Diego, Mauricio received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara in Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations and a minor in English.

Prior to joining the San Diego Hunger Coalition, he worked at the City of San Diego, City Council Offices. In his initial role as a council representative, Mauricio worked directly with constituents to address their concerns. It was this person-to-person experience that sparked his passion for public service. He later served as the Budget and Government Efficiency Committee Consultant where he coordinated with multiple city departments, elected officials, and outside organizations to organize the monthly agenda. In addition to his time at City Hall, Mauricio also worked on a successful San Diego City Council campaign and served briefly as a campaign manager for a mayoral campaign. Mauricio is excited to bring his campaign and political knowledge, volunteer management, networking, and coalition-building experience and passion for public service to the San Diego Hunger Coalition.

Passions: During his free time, he enjoys reading, golfing, tennis, soccer, stand-up paddle boarding, photography, listening to new music, spending time with friends, and wandering around the San Diego Zoo.

Favorite Quote: “the readiness is all”—Hamlet 5.2.233-34 “

Joseph Kendrick (he/him)

Research Manager

email: joseph@sdhunger.org

Joseph Kendrick joins the San Diego Hunger Coalition as a Data Analyst that is deeply committed to economic and social justice. Joseph comes from Crete, IL and graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics.  

Before joining the San Diego Hunger Coalition, Joseph worked as an Economist with the Bureau of Labor Statistics within the Occupation Employment and Wage Statistics program. He also spent some time performing research and analysis for the 311 Call Center of Grand Rapids, MI. Joseph is excited to bring his experience with data, research, and labor economics to the anti-hunger space with the Hunger Coalition.  

Passions: Outside of work, Joseph enjoys learning about political economy or philosophy, sports, music, and spending time with friends and family.

Anae Evangelista (she/her)

Community Impact Manager

email: anae@sdhunger.org

Anae Evangelista joined the San Diego Hunger Coalition as the CalFresh Program Coordinator. Growing up in San Diego, she recognizes the diverse community in the city and strives to secure food security for all and increase access to culturally reflective foods.

Prior to joining the San Diego Hunger Coalition, she worked with the CalFresh Team at UC San Diego, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree. She served as an application assister, serving as a point of communication between the county and students to solve case and application issues. Her outreach work aimed to tackle barriers inhibiting college student accessibility to CalFresh. She’s excited to bring her passion to the San Diego Hunger Coalition to serve as an advocate of food justice for all.

Passions: When she’s not working, she loves trying new crafts and napping with her cat Parsnip.

Carolina Vargas, M.A. (she/her/ella) 

Training and Technical Assistance Specialist

email: carolina@sdhunger.org

Carolina Vargas recently transitioned into the role of Training and Technical Assistance Specialist at the San Diego Hunger Coalition after completing her service as an AmeriCorps VISTA in May 2024. Passionate about developing effective strategies to assist underrepresented communities, Carolina aims to bridge the gap between those in need of essential information to combat hunger and access available food assistance programs.

With previous experience working on the IVC Kitchen project at Imperial Valley College, Carolina supported low-income students in accessing food assistance programs like the Food Pantry and applying for CalFresh. This experience highlighted the challenges faced by many families and students in accessing nutritious meals and applying for food assistance programs.

Carolina holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish with a minor in Psychology from San Diego State University, graduating in 2020 from the Calexico campus, and completed her master's degree in Spanish in 2023 at the main campus in San Diego. Her educational journey also included participation in Spanish Linguistics research at SDSU, solidifying her belief in the transformative power of education for individual lives and community growth.

Excited to contribute to the fight against hunger in San Diego County, Carolina is dedicated to building projects and initiatives that make a meaningful difference in the lives of those facing food insecurity.

Fun facts: She loves singing, drinking iced vanilla lattes, and playing with her two cats Yedi and Yuki.