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Meet the Team

Lori Martin
Co-Founder & Executive Director

Lori is a lifelong environmentalist, a community organizer, and a resident of New Haven. She is committed to creating a just food system and a just world.

Emma MartinMooney
co-founder & Operations assistant

Emma is a digital native who enjoys sharing her skills with environmental non profit organizations. She is a passionate choral singer, Irish step dancer, and potter.

Anissa Garcia
Project manager

Anissa has been working in management for 6+ years, formerly as an Associate Casting Director in Hollywood. A native New Yorker, she made the move to New Haven and has since thrown herself head-first into the nonprofit world.

Our Board Members

  • Bishop Dr. Phillip A. Boone is the Senior Pastor of the Cathedral of Higher Praise located in New Haven; CT. Bishop Phillip Boone was raised in a family deeply committed to ministry. He is an anointed and compassionate servant of God as he now walks in the call of Shepherd, Bishop retired after 40 years working in corporate at the Consolidated Edison Company of NY, Inc. As management employee, he assumed various roles of leadership including engineering, payroll, accounting and IT.

    He is a proponent of the importance of education and leads by example having received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Management; Master’s Degree in Theological Studies, Doctorate in Ministry, Doctorate in Theology and currently fulfilling his requirements for a PhD. He is an ordained Bishop of The Church of God of Prophecy.

    Bishop Boone is a dedicated family man, he has been married to his wife Deborah for over 47 years. They are proud parents of four children, three grandchildren and one great grand.

  • A native of Kentucky who came up this way to attend Wesleyan, Sarah’s core values were shaped by her master gardener grandparents. Janie Lou and H.R. modeled hard work, caring for the earth and their neighbors - and a cutting edge commitment to zero food waste. They loved to tell how, on the first day of school, she asked her kindergarten teacher where to compost her orange peels. Sarah has been an Early Childhood Educator for over 35 years and counting. She enjoys her children, her dogs, bright colors, connecting people, overthinking small things and dreaming really big dreams of a CT where have what they need to thrive.

  • Leigh is a long-time local resident, active as a volunteer with numerous organizations. She is particularly passionate about gardening and environmental issues. She spends most summer days at the community garden at Temple Mishkan Israel in Hamden and is also a volunteer at food pantries in the region. Leigh is also active at Trinity-on-the-Green Episcopal Church in New Haven serving in several leadership and committee positions. After many years at the Yale School of Medicine, she now enjoys a more low-key, part-time job as the parish administrator of Bethesda Lutheran Church.

 
  • Giulia has helped small businesses and nonprofits develop strong and results-oriented brand and communications through planning, implementation, consulting, and workshops since June 2009. Projects include many well-known area organizations such as Natureworks Garden Center, KNOWN Coworking, Innovation to Impact at Yale, KNOWNpreneurs and Aropa Consulting.

    Since 2010, Giulia has co-facilitated Digital Media Sync, a weekly free learning networking event for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and non-profits with workshops and guided discussions. In the past year alone, Giulia has livestreamed and archived more than 60 episodes through the KNOWN live streaming channel. In 2021, Giulia was Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the New Haven Free Public Library, for 10 months, and a team member, instructor and coach of the Make to Sell Cohort Program. Giulia has also led seminars for SCORE Fairfield County and CEDF (Community Economic Development Fund). Giulia continues to serve as one of 12 expert instructors for the TechXel Stamford cohort at the Ferguson Library.

    Through the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven, Giulia developed and ran Non-profit Online Fundraising Workshops and served as Keynote Speaker for the 2019 Great Give kickoff. In her spare time, Giulia maintains three gardens, including a historic herb garden, dances, creates botanical illustrations, and raises two rescue dogs, Halford and Lemmy, with her partner. In October 2023, Giulia received her Master Gardener Credentials through the University of Connecticut Extension.

    “One thing I always say I love is the intersection between environmental rights and food as aright. I love how the food-to table-to-elsewhere cycle does not mean a direct hit to the trash bin.”

  • Susan has been a member of Witnesses to Hunger since the start of the New Haven chapter in January 2018. She is a member of CFAN, its Steering Committee and participates in several subgroups. In addition, Susan is on the REACH Steering Committee and a member of the Board of Directors for Haven’s Harvest.


  • Katherine has written personally and professionally since she was five and she and her sister created a greeting card company, Ponytail Productions, to produce birthday cards for the extended family. Katherine spent her career as a writer in academia, supporting alumni and development at various institutions, as well as in corporate organizations, keeping employees informed. With so many worthy social justice causes to support, Katherine has chosen food insecurity as her primary volunteer effort, serving on the Hamden Food Task Force, as well as rescuing food for Haven’s Harvest for many years. She believes that no one in this country should go to bed hungry.

 
  • Charlize is currently a sophomore at Yale University, where she is pursuing a double major in the History of Science Medicine and Public Health and Ethnicity Race and Migration (ER&M). Her interest in public health began in high school when she participated in the New Jersey Health Initiative Emerging Leaders program. In the summer of 2023, she worked tirelessly as a summer intern for Haven’s Harvest, helping to launch our Summer Supper Series, and she hopes to return for more. This past fall is partnering with Matthew Kirschner to collaborate with students at the The Yale Hunger Action Project to expand the volunteer base and raise awareness among Yale students about food waste within the Yale campus and the surrounding areas.

    Charlize’s personal experience growing up in a low-income, primarily Latino community provides her with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the populations Haven’s Harvest aims to serve. As a current undergraduate student, she has a unique perspective on engaging and mobilizing young volunteers and supporters. Passionate about education and public awareness, Charlize will assist in developing campaigns and strategies to raise awareness about food waste and food insecurity, encouraging more individuals and businesses to get involved.

    “Engaging in service has been a transformative experience that has broadened my perspective on the issues my peers and I face. It has educated me about the larger societal, social, and political factors that exacerbate these difficulties. Service has become my chosen avenue for change, motivating me to take proactive steps to address the very challenges that affect my community and me.”

  • Caleb grew up with an urban farm as a part of everyday life, and has been a social and environmental activist since he was young. He left New Haven for college, and was excited to return home and become a part of the thriving environmental justice community in New Haven.

  • Catherine comes to the Haven’s Harvest board as many do—with years of experience rescuing food for the organization around New Haven and a deep desire to do more. Having earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Smith College, Catherine received her M.Phil from Yale University in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry before settling in Fair Haven heights in New Haven. She is currently laboratory manager for the Reilly lab in the genetics department, supervising inventory, as well as safety and organizational issues.

    A dedicated community activist, Catherine helped organize and grow the New Haven Buy Nothing Group, an online free marketplace where members can give and receive secondhand items. She is also chair of the Quinnipiac East Management team, a neighborhood association that works to create a stronger neighborhood community and connect neighbors with their elected officials to effect change. worked with diverse groups of people to support several communities and organizations. Whether it’s developing operating procedures, outreach, or organizing events for up to 100 people, she has collaborated with board and community members to achieve shared goals.

    The mission of Haven’s Harvest is critical to her. “It pains me to think of how much food is wasted while so many people go hungry and our planet warms. Everybody needs to eat, and so food is a great way to bring people together and build community. I’m excited for the opportunity to become more involved with the organization, helping it sustainably expand its mission.”

 
 
 
 

Our Interns

 
 

Haven’s Harvest is proud to host interns during the summers and throughout the year. While only with us temporarily, our interns have a lasting impact on our mission. Thank you!

  • Our lovely 2024 interns:

    Trista Caron

    Margarita Pagan

    Lisa Caldwell

    Vinny Ortiz

    Kris Lebron Romero

    Eleanor Keohane

    Bailey Mitchell-Warren 

    Laziya Trowell

    Jayden Carty

  • Our lovely 2023 interns:

    Charlize Leon Mata

    Emma Polinsky

    Mathhew Krischner

    Leslie