LEADERSHIP
Ryan Lampa
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FOUNDER & CEO
When Ryan first started serving the poor and disenfranchised thirteen years ago, he was out to fix and solve people. Given time, experience and a lot of mistakes, his main objective these days is to offer dignity to the most vulnerable through love and restoration by bringing relief, community and connection to restorative experiences and educational development. He is the founder and CEO of People Loving Nashville, a local non-profit that serves the marginalized and provides incubation for imaginative engagement with the poor. The joy his wife and three children bring him fuels his work, along with a good cup of small-batch pour-over coffee.
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HALEY CHILDRESS
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DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Haley’s initial encounter with PLN was years ago, volunteering to serve meals on a Monday night. After experiencing how the community accepted, loved, and listened to each other, she was hooked. Haley’s talent for process and procedure has helped PLN stay organized and running smooth as chocolate. Speaking of chocolate, one of Haley’s favorite memories growing up was looking for the hundreds of Easter eggs her grandparents would hide for her family every spring. Nowadays, the treasures she hunts for are in the conversations she has on the streets, the volunteers she trains, and the hope Jesus brings to the dark places. Haley also has a soft spot for fresh-picked flowers, long walks, and dancing, so combine these with any of the above, and you’ve just sweetened the deal.
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ANDREOS CHUNACO
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DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH
Even as you read this, Andreos is probably on his motorcycle riding to a homeless encampment, or engaging in a thoughtful conversation with a team member about the best way to serve a particular friend on the streets. As PLN’s Director of Outreach, Andreos brings a wealth of knowledge mixed with compassion to effectively serve our friends in need and guide our team in doing the same. He spends a lot of time doing this, but not nearly as much time as he spends trying to change PLN’s acronym to Pilipinos on the Loose in Nashville. As one of four Filipinos on staff, this seems to be a worthy cause. When Andreos is not helping friends secure housing or reflecting on his outreach days in the red light districts of Southeast Asia, you can find him at Comic-Con or enjoying nature.
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COLLEEN LAMPA
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DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS
When Colleen and PLN first met over a dozen years ago, she had recently moved to Nashville and was on the hunt to find her place, people and purpose. She immediately realized PLN was all that she longed for and more. PLN opened up a world inside of Colleen that propelled her to travel the world, live overseas and enjoy some really unique experiences (ask her about the Malagasy bull) that have led her right back to where it all started. Her steadfast passion and loyalty to the mission and purpose of our gatherings exudes an indelible presence wherever she goes. Not to mention, she is pretty great at staying calm and collected with things occasionally going haywire. When Colleen’s not daydreaming about her baby boy at work, she’s cuddling with him at home and collecting his spit up on her clothes, happily.
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CHRISTIAN WILLIAMS
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DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & PARTNERSHIPS
Christian loves to both live and write meaningful stories, which makes her the ideal fit for Director of Communications & Partnerships. Whether it’s posting about an experience during an outreach, managing a fundraising campaign, or developing partnerships between PLN and our supporters, Christian’s driving motivation is to elevate the dignity of our friends on the street through the power of storytelling. She first served with PLN in 2010 and after moving to Nashville in 2011 found her first Nashville community within the PLN family. Her journey took her away for a while, but as many beautiful stories unfold, she’s found herself coming back to her roots and finding her home. When Christian is not doing things for PLN, you find her lost in the woods (on a hike), writing, or going on adventures with friends (new fav skydiving).
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CHRISTOPHER WALTON
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RESOURCE MANAGER
To know Christopher is to know the sorted piles of clothing, bags, hats, and toiletries lovingly waiting to be distributed to those in need. As grueling as the job can be at times, Christopher never seems to mind. In fact, he’d probably tell you there’s no place he’d rather be, which is one of many reasons why we love having him on our team. When Christopher’s not doing clothing inventory or packing the box truck for another outreach, he’s most likely perusing indie comics at a local shop or chiseling away at the creation of his comic book series at home, release date TBD.
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JOEY GODINHIO
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OUTREACH SPECIALIST
What do pizza nights, penguins in South Africa and child acting have in common? The answer is Joey Godinho, Outreach Specialist extraordinaire at PLN. While pizza nights are a special tradition shared with his family of 6, penguins in South Africa are a treasured memory, and his days as a child actor long over, his most recent endeavor is walking with some of our most vulnerable friends in Nashville in their journey to stability. This means Joey spends a lot of time navigating the day-to-day complexities of homelessness with a patience and humility we could not do without. He credits his wife for sparking his passion for the marginalized, which underscores what a great guy Joey is, child acting notwithstanding.
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STEPHANIE HUGHES
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OUTREACH SPECIALIST
Ask Stephanie about some of her most memorable experiences and she’ll probably tell you about officiating her brother’s wedding or growing up near the beach. Ask her how she ended up becoming an Outreach Specialist for PLN, and she’ll definitely talk about the feeling of home and family she experiences doing life with our community. Steph understands the sacredness of being a supportive and consistent presence in someone’s life, which makes her perfect for her role in walking with individuals in unstable circumstances. When she’s not walking with others, she’ll find a quiet place to sit, preferable by a river, a garden, or a campfire.
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WILD INDIGO
(PEOPLE LOVING NASHVILLE'S SISTER PROGRAM)
JOanna LAMPA
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DIRECTOR OF WILD INDIGO
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