Founder & Director- Pamela Green

Pamela has worked in the public sector for twenty years starting out in the Portland Public School District, working as an educator in the field of Special Education. Following her passion to support youth in need she was led to work as a Youth Care Specialist at an Emergency, Short-term Youth Shelter. While working there she became more knowledgeable about the needs of “At Risk Youth”, their families and how to best serve them.  Overall, she believes her greatest accomplishment to date is successfully raising 2 sons and 10 daughters in whom she instilled integrity, values and a desire to be an asset to their community.

This is where Pamela became educated personally in the plight of an At Risk Youth; while raising her own children as a single parent. Understanding the struggles and obstacles that her own children had to overcome having a single parent household was key.

 It is Pamela’s belief that without Holistic Care, the plight of our most at risk youth will be detrimental for themselves and society as a whole. She is a firm believer that “The youth literally are Our Future”!

Operations Manager- Marissa Green

Marissa is the Operations Manager for Abundance of Hope Center. She has studied Nursing, Business, Economics and Non-Profit studies. During her personal and professional experience, Marissa has observed a need for People of Color service providers in leadership positions and is passionate about being a part of filling those positions. Marissa is dedicated to uplifting her community and creating opportunities for the next generation.

Programs Manager- Salenna Green

Salenna graduated from the University of Washington Bothell in 2016 with a Bachelor's degree in Community Psychology. Growing up, Salenna was inspired by her mother whom worked first as a Teacher and then as Youth Care Specialist III. Salenna discovered her passion for nonprofit work after witnessing the impact her mother made in the lives of her clients.  Salenna is passionate about  building up youth of color into leadership positions and Serves on the Board of African Women Business Alliance. As a women of Nigerian decent, she is dedicated to social justice and equity.

Nourah Yonous has roots deeply embedded in social justice work, particularly in gender/racial equity and cross cultural-multifaceted-intersectional grassroots community development. Nourah is a Founder/Executive Director of African Women Business Alliance – AWBA, a micro-social enterprise/nonprofit organization focusing on un-leashing African/Black women’s economic potential through entrepreneurship. Nourah also works at NAC as a Program Manager where she brings a decade of advocacy experience in the Global South Feminism/Gender Activism working in, and outside the nonprofit sector. Prior to NAC, Nourah worked with East African Community Services, OneAmerica, Care International, and International Rescue Committee – IRC.Nourah serves as a board member at SouthEast Effective Development (SEED) and Voices of Tomorrow, a local grassroots organization focusing on early learning systems of change. Nourah is also a Community Leadership Institute Fellow at Puget Sound Sage.   Nourah is a proud mother.

Erin Russell is a Mother of two teenage boys and currently works for the School district as a Special Education Para. Russell has also worked within the non-profit sector since 2002 as a Youth Care Counselor. She has experience working with youth in the juvenile system and has been a Youth Advocated since 2001. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children and family. 

Aria Wilson studied international relations and global studies with an emphasis on human rights at the University of Washington.  With this background, Aria firmly believes that no single approach is the right one for every individual and child in need. Her goals with Abundance of Hope is to provide as much outreach for the organization as possible to connect with diverse communities in Seattle that are passionate about assisting oppressed youth.

Board Secretary

Marisa Mejia is currently working on furthering her education in accounting while working in accounts receivable for a national construction company.  Marissa's experience and background in the community and outreach has primarily been in the healthcare field and assisting the elderly, however her interest was peeked with her experience as a 911 dispatcher. The knowledge gained through her employment with emergency services drives her involvement with youth homelessness and seeing firsthand how little our judicial system has to offer those who have no control over their situations.  Marisa is driven to assist in any way she can to reverse this crisis. Through her own experience of trying to find the resources to survive on her own at a young age, she knows that there are not enough advocates and nowhere near enough resources to come out successful. Marissa believe giving our youth guidance and resources that provide basic tools to survive is an essential part of building our future as a community and is excited and very fortunate to be involved in AofH.