Jessica was born and raised in Denver Colorado, and is a East Graduate. She is a mother to three beautiful girls; they enjoy going shopping, dinner dates, especially when it's sushi, walks at the park and movie nights. She is excited to be at Heart and Hand Center as the new Middle School Program Manager. Jessica joined program back in 2021 as a Program Leader, and loved everything about it, especially all the relationships she has built with students, as well as the academic enrichment, health wellness, family engagement, creative expressions and the social emotional learning Heart & Hand provides. She is very excited to see her growth and the opportunities with program.

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Brianna was born and raised in the small town of Great Falls, Montana. She moved to Denver in 2015 seeking a more diverse community, better opportunities, and a degree in social work. Brianna has an AA in General Education as well as experience with facilitating social emotional learning (SEL) workshops at a Head Start program, and providing community based support for families who have mental health and/or developmental disabilities at AWARE Inc. When she started the Social Work program at MSU Denver, Brianna also began volunteering for Heart & Hand and eventually joined the staff as a Program Leader. She found her strength in building relationships with students and families, and teaching SEL skills and restorative justice to our youth. Brianna started working with the CCR program as an intern in 2019 and discovered her passion for working with older students. She is passionate about collaborating with CCR students and their families to set intentional goals and establish a plan for a bright future using a strength based lens. Being a mother is her proudest accomplishment so in her free time Brianna enjoy spending time with her two sons and two bonus daughters. She also loves to visit her family in Montana whenever she gets the chance.

Born in Texas and raised in Colorado, Ash has spent her entire life in the Far Northeast side of Denver. A graduate of DMLK and a proud member of the Montbello girls varsity soccer team, Ash's love for the game inspired her to volunteer as a soccer coach for her younger siblings’ schools. This experience sparked her passion for working with youth and set the foundation for her career in human services. In 2023, Ash joined the Heart&Hand team as a program coach for CCR, where she discovered her commitment to social work and human services. During her first year, Ash also stepped into a coaching role for the A360 soccer team. Now, as the Program Manager of A360, Ash is deeply invested in nurturing the relationships she's built with the youth and their families. Her work is driven by a desire to contribute to the same community that shaped her, and she is continually learning new ways to advocate for and empower the next generation. Outside of work, Ash enjoys exploring Colorado’s beautiful mountains and indulging her love for music by attending live concerts.

Aa'Jha Cortez was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. In her early years, she attended North East Charter School in Montbello and then she graduated as an East High Alum in 2018! She was a varsity cheerleader for Denver East high school, where most of her community work started. Aa'Jha is the mother to a beautiful girl who is the center of her entire world. In addition to having a child of her own, working with children is nothing new for Aa'Jha. Heart and Hand is a second home for her. In fact she began her journey here summer 2019 as a PARA, and then she soon transitioned to a Program Leader in the school year 2019-2021, leading her to become senior program leader 2022-2023, to land her current position in August 2023 as an elementary and middle school Program Manager! She is an active source within the community and so eager to continue to give new and never ending opportunities to the youth!

Kisha grew up in and around the Five Points community. One of her hobbies is to walk around the neighborhood, which brought her into contact with the Heart & Hand last year as she started volunteering every day. Prior to gaining the opportunity as Program Coordinator at the H&H Resource Center, she was a full-time stay at home mother of her five children. She currently is an active Board member at her youngest children's elementary school and has been active on the school board for the past four years. Kisha is a strong believer in the bond of community. She embraces the challenges that she has faced in her life, knowing they have bonded her with members of the communities where she has resided in Colorado. She prides herself in treating every individual with utmost respect no matter what chapter a person is on in this book called life.

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Blaine began working with the Heart & Hand Center as an intern in 2010 and is now the Chief Operating Officer.  She is a Colorado native who graduated from Colorado State University and is now pursuing a Masters Degree at Regis University. Blaine's favorite thing about working with Heart & Hand are the relationships she has developed with H&H families, youth and coworkers. She enjoys reading, creative writing and spending time outdoors.

Aricia grew up in Denver, Colorado and has spent her whole life here in the city. She attended Barrett Elementary, Morey Middle School and graduated from East High School in 2018. She furthered her education at Metropolitan State University of Denver and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Sports Management in May of 2023. Aricia has worked with youth since her time at East High School where she would take a class period once a week and teach core life lessons to students at Hallett Elementary. She has worked with youth for the last 3 years and has grown to love it. This is her second full year at Heart & Hand and she has grown to build strong relationships with students and families.

Angie Neslin is thrilled to be part of Heart & Hand's team supporting families! Born and raised in Denver, she has a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University in Hispanic Studies and American Studies. Following graduation she went to the Dominican Republic on a Princeton in Latin America fellowship that enabled her to develop an urban gardening program at Fundación Abriendo Camino, a nonprofit serving under-resourced communities in Santo Domingo. Loving her work with students and their families, she wound up staying for five years and had the honor of coordinating a full-fledged environmental education program as well as a youth parliament that gave kids and families a voice in the organization's programming and in their broader community. As part of this work, she also became involved with Diálogos Hambre Cero, a UN-affiliated program to address food insecurity in the Americas. She is eager to continue engaging with issues of food justice, environmental sustainability, and community voice in decision-making processes as the Family Development Program Manager at Heart & Hand. Outside of work, she plays electric guitar in a pan-American fusion band, studies poetry, and enjoys walking her dog around her favorite city, Denver.

Gabe grew up in Indianapolis and moved to Denver after earning two bachelor's degrees in psychology and religious studies from Indiana University. He spent a few years working in the mental health field as a counselor and supervisor with high-school aged youth while earning a master’s degree in religious studies from the University of Denver. Gabe has three years of experience in out-of-school time programming as a social justice advocate and program manager. Gabe is excited about joining the Heart and Hand team and providing a safe space for youth to learn and grow.

Outside of work, Gabe has been rock climbing for 10+ years and his preferred type of climbing is bouldering. He spends a lot of his time reading different books and articles on philosophy, religion, and capitalism. Gabe enjoys playing all types of games and sports while keeping up with new movies and tv shows as much as he can.

Cami has always been passionate about building relationships with youth and ensuring that youth in historically underserved communities are provided with the resources and supports needed to help create more of an equal opportunity to quality education. Having worked and volunteered for various after-school programs, Cami is excited about helping build the new High School Program and working with the youth at the Heart & Hand Center. Cami holds a BA in Psychology with a minor in Education Studies at the University of California, San Diego and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Denver. Originally from Richmond, California, Cami enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, being outdoors, reading, trying new foods, and sleeping in her spare time.