Our Mission
Together, we connect, share, and celebrate nutritious food, education, and community.
Vision
Creating communities where everyone has the right and opportunity to eat well, be nourished, and thrive.
Bounty & Soul Manifesto
We believe in the power of commUNITY
We believe food is a human right.
Food is love. Food is medicine. Food is justice.
o
We know our farmers and they know us.
We honor their work as sacred.
o
Knowledge is power and communities are wise.
Communities have the resources to care for each other.
Together we create a just and equitable food and health system.
o
Everyone has a right to abundance and to define their well-being on their own terms.
o
We welcome you.
We value you as a whole person.
We will greet you by name.
We choose love.
Our Team
Those who dedicate their time and passion to fulfilling our mission!
Our Staff
Ali Casparian (she/her What's This?)
Executive Director and Founder
Ali is the Founder and Executive Director of Bounty & Soul, a non-profit organization co-creating healthy communities by connecting people to food, education and each other through a ...
Paula Sellars M.S.W. (she/her)
Associate Director
Paula’s expertise is human development and social change. As Deputy Director of Bounty & Soul, she works with our team to ensure that the heart of our mission is achieved in all of our programs. ...
Linda Cohen (she/her What's This?)
Director of Business & Finance
Linda is our Director of Business & Finance and has been working for non-profits in this role for over 35 years. Committed to leading organizations in their financial growth and planning, she...
Claudie Babineaux (she/her)
Director of Food and Farms
Claudie is happy to be joining the team at Bounty & Soul. She started as a delivery driver and soon became the Director of Food and Farms. After spending several years as a Park...
Sarah Bostick (she/her)
Director of Special Projects
As Director of Special Projects, Sarah leads the Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) Program, creates and strengthens systems across Bounty & Soul's operations, and....
Whit Zeh (she/her)
Development Manager
Whit is a passionate community builder dedicated to fostering authentic connections that strengthen community ties...
Karla Gardner (she/her)
Community Engagement Manager
Karla relishes in connecting with participants, gleaning and sorting produce from local farms and ...
Francisco Chavez (He/Him El/Usted)
LatinX Program Manager
Francisco is originally from Mexico and has been living in the USA for more than 22 years. His favorite hobbies are: music, dancing, and ...
Dani Potts (she/her)
Rooted in Health Manager
Dani grew up in Santa Cruz, California and came to North Carolina to complete her Bachelors and Masters degree in Nutrition ...
Tatiana Rivest (she/her)
Events & Donor Administrator
Tatiana is originally from Montreal and has been living in WNC since 2015. She started her career in nonprofit work...
Aly Pagano (she/her)
Farmers Alliance Associate
Aly is a local to WNC and has worked in food production for most of her life. From the FFA to Heifer International...
Anthony Dyrattana (he/him)
Food Distribution Associate
Anthony has about seven years worth of experience within a warehouse or distribution center. Prior to being in a warehouse...
Eliza Randolph (she/her)
Staff Accountant
Eliza is originally from Longview, Washington, and earned her bachelor’s degree in Financial Economics from Western...
Healthy Opportunities Pilot Team (HOP)
Jane Volgeman Lubbers
Certified Health Coach & Educator, HOP
Jane’s background is in environmental /adventure education, health and wellness coaching, yoga, and health education…
Krystal Herrmann
HOP Program Associate
Krystal was born and raised in the Midwest and moved to East Asheville in 2019. Her educational and professional background is in nutrition and public health…
Tenley Reeder (she/her)
HOP Distribution Support
Tenley moved to Asheville in the summer of 2022, a year after graduating from Hood College with her BA in Marketing & Communications. She has …
Ellie Boye (she/her)
HOP Program Associate
Ellie grew up in Davidson, North Carolina and lived there until moving to Gettysburg, PA to attend Gettysburg College. After graduating in 2022 with a degree in …
Justin Hartis (he/him)
HOP Distribution Support
Justin is an Asheville native who has lived in the area his whole life. Growing up with an instilled worker's mentality, he has worked anywhere from restaurant line…
Sarah Tisinger (she/her)
AmeriCorps Member
Sarah is a Western Carolina University Alumni, Class of 2023, with a degree in Emergency & Disaster Management, International Relations, and …
Jamie Shelor (she/her)
HOP Distribution Support
Jamie has spent several years working for local farms in Western North Carolina since she moved here in the summer of 2021. Her passion for regenerative agriculture…
Contractors & Facilitators
Suzanne Serbia (she/her)
Marketing & Graphic Design Support
Suzanne has been with Bounty & Soul since its inception, always using her skills, past experiences, and talents to help the organization...
Tara Leammookda (ella/ellas)
Zumba Instructor
Operations Manager by day/Zumba Instructor by night. I've lived in NC for most of my life, and grew up dancing with my grandparents in Connecticut. Dancing ...
Jefferson "Fitz" Fitzpatrick(he/him)
Driver and Community Liaison
Fitz has been transporting food and supporting the community of Bounty and Soul since 2020. He feels that being a part of the team...
Victor Dostrow MD
Amy Joy Lanou Ph.D.
Tom Tracy
Our Volunteers
Volunteers are the heartbeat of Bounty & Soul. We couldn’t operate without their service, dedication, and commitment. Every week our volunteers donate their time and talents to improving the health and well-being of their fellow community members. With over 350 active volunteers, they are responsible for loading and unloading trucks, displaying the bounty of food, helping our participants select their food, assisting with educating on healthy ways to prepare the food, offering a hug or kind word to another…the list goes on. If you want to make a difference in someone’s life, please reach out to us below or email Karla. We would love for you to join our volunteer family.
Find out more by Clicking Here
Our Partners
Bounty & Soul believes that collaboration and relationships are essential to achieve both its short-term and long-term goals. We are deeply grateful for these relationships, and we support the growth of each organization’s respective missions. Bounty & Soul will continue to focus on building strong and mutually beneficial relationships as we grow, reach more people, and transform lives.