We provide homes for those in need.

Our Mission

Home For A Home is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization driven by the belief that a safe, solid home can be the catalyst to dramatic and positive change in people's lives. Our mission is to provide homes for people in need.

Inspiration - Our Founder

In high school, Home for a Home founder Nick Cooper visited Mexico every spring break with a group of fellow students to build houses for the poor.  The experience of seeing such stark poverty and lack of adequate housing left a lasting impression.

After college, Nick found success in his real estate career, but over time felt a lack of purpose and became determined to find a way to create a positive impact through his work efforts.

Inspired by the rise of social enterprise, Nick explored the idea of using real estate as a vehicle to relieve suffering and provide hope in people's lives. With this innovation, the concept of using revenue from real estate transactions to sustainably support home construction for those in need was created.

 
 

Dedication - Our Executive Director

Joel Vendette has been a Realtor® for over 11 years, serving the Los Angeles and Coachella Valley areas, and became a Home for a Home member in 2015. Before becoming a Realtor®, Joel earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Boston University. He went on to work as a Graphic Designer and Art Director for various publishers and within the government. The change in careers came from wanting to work with people in a direct and personal way.

Working in real estate and having a personal belief in volunteering and giving back, aligning with Home for a Home as a member was an easy decision. “When I learned of Home for a Home, it felt like a full-circle moment. I saw how I could use my real estate business to provide homes for those in need. Since joining, I have continuously told others about it, and the response has always been enthusiastic. I want more people to be aware of this organization and participate. I believe Home for a Home is special, and I am excited about this opportunity as we continue on its path of giving back and making the world a better place, one home at a time.”

Joel currently lives in Cathedral City, where he enjoys the laid-back atmosphere and ease of life while spending time with his family and dog, taking in all the local area has to offer.

Board of Directors

  • President, Board of Directors

    Jerry is extremely excited to serve Home for a Home. Jerry is currently the Head of Operations at Zitara.

    He started his career in Executive Search before making the transition to consulting at Deloitte. Jerry spent nearly 8 years at the firm before pursuing his MBA at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. Prior to Zitara, Jerry was the VP of Operations at Chargelab after serving as the Head of Strategy and Operations for Particle Industries. He was a Strategic Sourcing Manager at Apple. Most notably, he was the Business Operations Manager for Apple Watch and iPod. Serving the community is nothing new to Jerry, as he served on multiple non-profit boards and as youth mentor. This includes having served for 5 years on the Board of Directors for the California Alumni Association (UC Berkeley’s Independent Alumni Association).

    Support Jerry’s fundraiser here.

  • Josh Le has a diverse background in communications and marketing, corporate strategy and business leadership. Starting his professional career in Los Angeles, CA working for experiential marketing agency, MKG. Having a deep passion for wildlife, his career moved him back to Minneapolis, MN where he worked for the Minnesota Zoo where he worked on their marketing and communication team. He also has served in the social services sector as the Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Operations Officer for the Pinky Swear Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping kids with cancer and their families. Josh now serves as the Vice President of External Relations for the newest US Major League Rugby team, Rugby FC Los Angeles, where he oversees all marketing and communication, media relations, and community engagement.

    In his free time, Josh enjoys spending time with his husband while traveling, eating great food and staying active outdoors. He also serves on several other boards of directors and is an active volunteer in his local community of Atlanta, GA. He is incredibly excited to join Home for a Home and is eager to make a meaningful impact.

    Support Josh’s fundraiser here.

  • Treasurer, Board of Directors

    Bob is the Founder and Director of DPK Consulting (now Tetra Tech DPK). He built Tt DPK into a $40 million per year international development consulting firm focusing on rule of law and government integrity and accountability since its founding in 1993. Tt DPK is a global firm with active projects in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, and Asia. The focus of Tt DPK is on work in emerging democracies, failed states, states in transition, and post-conflict countries.

    Prior to founding Tt DPK Consulting, Mr. Page had a distinguished career with the judicial branch of the state and federal governments. He served as Administrative Director of the California court system, the largest court system in the United States with 1,500 judges and 20,000 employees and District Executive of the Southern District Federal Court of New York City, the largest federal court in the country with over 50 judges.

    Mr. Page has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth with a major in architecture and urban planning. He graduated from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University with a Masters degree in Public Administration. He holds a Masters in Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Chile working in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

    Mr. Page’s interest in the goals of Home For A Home stems from his lifelong focus on housing. He has been active in real estate development through his company, Wellington Page Properties, with a focus on remodeling and upgrading residential properties. Home For A Home allows him to link that interest with the critical need for housing in the countries that Home For A Home serves. He and his family spent a transformative week building a house alongside a wonderful Guatemalan family as volunteers on a Home For A Home build.

    Support Robert’s fundraiser here.

  • Meredith Peterson brings a unique knowledge of both real estate marketing and finance that allow her to provide her clients with a comprehensive home buying or selling experience. She is known by her clients and colleagues for her honesty, integrity, trust, performance, and discretion.

    She is passionate about her work and provides unparalleled service, strong negotiation skills, and a superb knowledge of the local market.

    Meredith was born and raised in the Bay Area with a BA in Law and Society from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She is both an Orinda resident and the parent of two school-age children with deep knowledge and ties to the community.

    Support Meredith’s fundraiser here.

  • Secretary, Board of Directors

    Originally born in Germany, Victoria Schultz is fluent in both German and English and has had the privilege of living in several different countries (Germany, England, Luxembourg and currently, the US). Splitting her time in the US and Europe has fueled Victoria's passion for people, which has guided her in both her personal and professional life. Victoria is an experienced, strategic marketer with a demonstrated history of adapting her skills across different industries. As a former collegiate athlete, she has applied the lessons learned on the field to her day to day, bringing energy and positivity to every role. Victoria leads by example and enables those around her to succeed by applying her core values of authenticity, communication, transparency, and collaboration. Living in different countries has allowed her the privilege of meeting people from all different cultures and backgrounds. This gave way to a natural affinity for marketing and people management in her current role at Compass, leading a team of marketers. Marketing is storytelling, and Victoria loves learning about people and finding ways to share their stories. Isn't that, after all, what marketing is all about? Both in her career and outside of work, Victoria is passionate about community outreach and social activism. She is a co-lead for the California Diversity Council at Compass, on the Alumni Council for her alma mater, and is involved in various charitable organizations focused on causes including racial and gender equality, education, disaster relief, and environmental conservation.

    Support Victoria’s fundraiser here.

  • Page is thrilled to be given the opportunity to build and strengthen communities through the great work Home for a Home does. She is a seasoned marketing professional currently serving as the Senior Brand Lead for Gin & Rum at Hotaling & Co., Importer & Distiller. A long believer in building brands with purpose, Page successfully launched a new series of events called Martini Week resulting in the contribution of over $30K to charitable donations in just 2 years. Prior experiences include impactful roles at Jackson Family Wines, Starbucks Corporation, and Gallo Wine & Spirits where she demonstrated leadership in brand strategy and product innovation as well as learned the importance of serving communities and people. She holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, with concentrations in Strategy and Marketing. A well-rounded professional and avid traveler, Page brings a wealth of experience and a passion for creating memorable purpose first brand experiences.

    Support Page’s fundraiser here.

Advisory Council

  • Grace Turkis is a director of leadership development at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and brings more than 15 years of experience in leadership development in both university and health care settings. Prior to UC Berkeley, Grace was the director of operations at the Institute for Physician Leadership and the Pharmacy Leadership Institute at the UCSF Center for Health Professions, where she focused on the development and delivery of leadership programs for clinical leaders across California. Grace received her master of public administration degree from the University of Colorado Denver and a bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the Pennsylvania State University. Grace is also a Certified Professional Coach and certified Myers-Briggs Type Indicator practitioner. What Grace loves about Home for a Home is the opportunity it provides for people to give back in a tangible way through providing homes for those in need.

    Support Grace’s fundraiser here.

Administrative Support

  • Lourdes is a Guatemalan born and raised and our Community Engagement Associate from Antigua Guatemala since 2019.

    She went to law school in one of the private universities of Guatemala. Like many, she had to work to be able to pay for her studies and that's how she became a freelance digital marketing specialist and never looked back.

    From the moment she heard about Home for a Home she knew she wanted to work with us. Growing up in Guatemala she has seen firsthand the needs and deficiencies of people in rural areas and couldn't pass the opportunity to be a part of an organization that was making a positive impact on so many lives.

    Meeting families, seeing houses being built, and being in constant contact with donors letting them know about the homes that they have funded is extremely fulfilling.

  • Trish Kyle is a relatively new transplant to SoCal, specifically Palm Springs. Leaving the East Coast, where she was a lifelong resident, living in the fair cities of Boston, New York, and Washington DC, she spent her career working with organizations to create strategic plans and connecting leaders, messaging, people, and process, in support of strategic visions and annual goals. A strong desire to pay forward and to serve the non-profit world in more impactful ways led Trish to pursue a consulting career in large and small service-oriented non-profits by guiding and helping them to achieve the same goals and successes as for-profit organizations. The journey led her to the Smithsonian Institution where she now serves as the Senior Advisor to the Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Fueled by the desire to serve with passion and impact, Home For A Home speaks to Trish’s desire to create and provide homes for families to grow, survive, and thrive. A cause close to her heart and one she is committed to serve.

    Support Trish’s fundraiser here.

  • The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the most thriving real estate markets in the country and navigating it successfully necessitates a partnership with the right professionals who have the expertise to guide homeowners through the complexities of our market and the lending industry.

    As an experienced mortgage lender, my role goes far above and beyond quoting interest rates; rather, I see my primary responsibility as enabling my clients to make fully-informed decisions. The unbiased information and advice aim to empower them as to how to leverage a mortgage within the context of their longer-term, overall planning goals and thus make responsible and strategic decisions. This big-picture analysis is coupled with my unwavering commitment to timely delivery, highly-engaged management of the loan process, and proactive communication.

    This strategy for my client's success has been the foundation of my business, and I am grateful to work with an excellent team that is similarly committed to the best interests of our clients.

    Support Bryce’s fundraiser here.

  • Home is so much more than just a place. It’s our sanctuary, our comfort zone, and the feeling to be in the right place, be it for a few weeks or more permanently. In the last decade, I was lucky to live in several different countries and cities; yet, none of them have made me feel so at home like the Los Angeles westside.

    After graduating from college with a Business major, I moved from Germany to the United States. What started as a little adventure by the beach in Santa Monica, quickly became my new California life - from an internship at a real estate brokerage, to executive assistant to a top broker assisting and negotiating transactions for high-end clients. And in 2020, I decided to take my career to the next level by helping people find their perfect home while successfully building my own business.

    My own journey of frequent relocations and becoming a permanent resident in the US has become my inspiration, and it is my passion to guide my clients through their real estate needs in one of the most desirable places in the world.

    Support Melanie’s fundraiser here.

  • Joaquín Lopez is a native Guatemalan proud of his indigenous roots. Over the last decade, he has worked with non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity, consulting sector, and academia with the Universidad de Valparaíso (Chile) and Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. His expertise is in social housing, community development, and planning in rural indigenous areas. His passion for supporting vulnerable communities brought him to Home for a Home. He studied architecture in Guatemala, received a Master in Regional and Environmental Development in Chile, and is currently studying a Ph.D. in City & Metropolitan Planning at the University of Utah with support of the Fulbright Scholarship.