Ari, an Evergreen grad, has been living in Olympia since 2017. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Ari did not find much connection to the land from a young age. While in college at Evergreen, Ari stuck their hands in the soil and harvested a potato for the first time. They worked at the Evergreen community gardens as an intern, stewarding the student plot and learned about growing their own food. Ari found out about GRuB while working at Haven House. The residents there who attended GRuB made a lasting impact on Carli’s experience due to their growth and leadership within the Haven House dynamic. Ari is passionate about youth having safe adults they can trust, and having a place in their life where they feel truly at ease to be themselves. Ari also enjoys bird watching, studying flowers, playing board/video games, and spending time at home with their cats, Felix and Moth. 

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Raised on a New England diet of quahogs, poison ivy, and deer ticks, Ben has called Olympia home for nearly fifteen years. Having studied alternative food systems and social justice at The Evergreen State College, their path to GRuB has felt like a natural progression of their commitment to food equity. When they're not helping the gears of GRuB turn, they enjoy cycling, drumming, and reading.

Deb is delighted to return home to Washington State to join GRuB’s leadership after several decades farming and teaching in Wisconsin and Illinois. During her 15 years at Angelic Organics Learning Center, she developed programs, partnerships and resources to help farmers and eaters thrive, including establishing an overnight farm camp, building regional programs for farmers, and growing a youth leadership and urban agriculture program. She loves to have her hands in the soil and takes great satisfaction from preparing and sharing good food straight from the land.

As a long time community member, Beth has aligned her career with working to create positive social change. She has been a business owner, community organizer, project manager and program developer both internationally and regionally. For over 12 years she worked in disadvantaged communities in India developing fair trade product with a women’s co-op and organic farmers. Beth worked for a social enterprise aiming to alleviate poverty and advance gender equality in West Africa through the use of fair trade indigenous resources and community empowerment initiatives. She is passionate about collaborating and connecting with people to help drive social change for a more equitable future. Beth first became involved with GRuB volunteering on the farm when her daughter was a toddler. She immediately felt welcomed into the community and loved being on the land. She is thrilled to be in this role to support GRuB’s impactful work and mission.

An Olympian since 1995, Wade's formative years included the summers of 2000 & 2001 in GRuB's early teen programs. His love of community service brought him back to the staff in 2009 as the Farm Manager. After transitioning to Lead Teacher of the Youth Program from 2013-2019, he moved on to the Director of Youth Programs, supporting the youth leaders and program staff, building relationships with partners, and helping to educate others on the Youth Program's tools and practices. Now as Program Director, he supports all of GRuB's programs and brings leadership to the regional Northwest Youth Garden Network, and the national Rooted in Community network. He is a big proponent of play and humor in this work, and outside of work can be found doing the same with his family and in community spaces.

Drawing from the wellspring of her Indigenous roots, Kerensa is a community builder, facilitator, multicultural connector, and landkeeper. Blending curiosity and the gifts of the natural world with social justice and decolonizing systems, she assists people across liminal spaces to heal, expand their innate potential, and co-create transformation. With over 21 years in nonprofits, Kerensa has been at GRuB for 13 years, in many roles, from community-based fundraising and engagement to volunteer management and donor cultivation. Kerensa and her family live in Olympia, WA on the ancestral and current lands of the Salish peoples. She raises up her Ancestors, Elders, and community to teach her how to bring strength through love. On the weekend, you might find her in the garden, hiking a trail, or exploring art and music with her family. 

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Sade Gilliom, MES, has been a part of the GRuB community since 2014 as a volunteer, Americorps member with the GRuB Garden Project, and workshop attendee. They joined the staff team in 2019. Sade’s main role at GRuB includes creating and managing systems to facilitate ease of operations. Sade’s passions include sustainable farming, wild crafting, ecology, criminal justice reform, community connection and everything GRuBby! They spend their free time with their goats and chickens on their farm and kayaking in the Salish Sea.

Clare, M.E.S, is a writer, artist, activist, bibliophile, tea-leaf reader, and urban rooftop gardener. She has enjoyed spending lots of her time playing with story--she's worked in bookstores for the past six years, and she's been a writer and storyteller all her life. She loves poking holes in dominant or obsolete narratives and strives to both listen to and help uplift the voices and stories that have been too often cast aside. She can often be found playing at her secret swimming spots with a good book and a bunch of doodling supplies.

Jennah joined the GRuB community in 2019 as lead garden builder for GRuB's Garden Project. In 2023, she stepped into a new role as Farmer Veteran Project Specialist, where she will get to foster relationships with beginning Veteran farmers. As a Navy Veteran who struggled establishing roots and finding community in and out of the military, Jennah is passionate about creating supportive and equitable spaces for people to come together. Outside of GRuB, Jennah loves spending time with her sweet pup; hiking and foraging; creating and enjoying art; and growing, preparing, and eating delicious food!

Dreama has been digging their hands in the soil on and off for the past 6 years and is a huge mental health advocate. Dreama believes working with the land and healing our relationship with the land can lead to healing the relationship we have with ourselves and others. From their life experiences they have an understanding that not everyone has access to resources that aid in overall wellbeing. This is why they are excited and determined to create more accessibility and resources for those in the community through the GRuB Garden Project! Dreama also enjoys painting, poetry, wildlife and seeking adventure whenever possible!

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ~ J.R.R Tolkien

Billie is an alum of the Olympia High School Freedom Farmers, as well as GRuB. Billie started farming when she signed up for the Freedom Farmer program in 2016. She discovered GRuB after graduating high school, and worked as a farm assistant in spring of 2019, then returned to the Freedom Farmers the following summer. After three years in the Freedom Farmer program, Billie was offered a staff position from Olympia High School, to continue to make a difference in youth’s lives. She worked her way up to a Paraeducator position, and became a strong leader to look up to. After ending her position with OHS, Billie transitioned back to working with GRuB as a farm coordinator helping youth in GRuB’s GED program, GroundED. Billie has worked with and helped over 80+ students with the Freedom Farmers, 65+ students in GroundED, and 16 farm assistants, all over 3 years.

Alex works closely with beginning Veteran farmers and beekeepers and supports GRuB’s Veterans projects connecting Veterans to resources and community. Growing up with active duty Army parents, Alex understands the feeling of being uprooted and transplanted. She is proud to call Olympia her home for the past 20 years. She is passionate about community engagement and has worked for many of Olympia’s small businesses in various leadership capacities. She is passionate about providing service in a way that contributes to the whole person—intellectually, spiritually, physically and emotionally. During her personal time, Alex enjoys trail running with her pup Dahlia, reading with her kitties Miya and Mia, and dipping her toes into a slew of creative hobbies.

Savannah comes from a background in social services where she enjoyed connecting with different people and building community, which she is looking forward to continuing in her new role. In her personal life, Savannah enjoys any activity that includes her dog, being in/on/near the water, getting together with friends, and food! She is an organizer of people and loves finding ways to connect people with each other. She also loves making music with her brass band and equally loves sharing that joy with others. Savannah can’t wait to bring her experience, passion, and personality to GRuB!

Born in California, but at home in Washington, Sahfir traveled the country at a young age picking up a deep sense of respect for the arts, native plant life and community. With experience in wellness consulting, sound therapy and activism, his hope is to continue to challenge the systems which continue to marginalize and exclude the communities whose lives would be positively impacted by GRuB's mission statement. The prospect of working closer with the land and the people who feed it back, make his efforts worthwhile.

Selena came to GRuB as the Office Administrator in November 2017. She is a GRuB Youth alum from the 07-08 crew and continued on through 2009 helping assist and prepare for that year's Soirée. She has two boys named Braxton and Dakota. Selena was born and raised in Washington, and over her lifetime has been to 26 different states and lived in four. Selena has extensive background working with children and is passionate about helping in the community. She is working on her degree in Nutrition.

Bio coming soon!