Ho Nguyen

Program Officer, Food Security

Inspiration: “Our ultimate objective in learning about anything is to try to create and develop a more just society.” — Yuri Kochiyama

What working in this community means to me: “It is a an honor and privilege working in this community. This community is my home. Working in community means working alongside our partners by amplifying and championing their work of building a more just and equitable region.”

Ho is a Program Office within the holistic grantmaking team overseeing the Food Security portfolio. She leads outcomes towards a more food secure region by collaborating with partners who are addressing the conditions that enable food insecurity to occur in our communities by tackling both the immediate needs and root causes.

Prior to joining the team at United Way, Ho spent more than a decade working for equity and justice across the non-profit sector. Through a combination of direct service, organizing, policy, and advocacy, she has championed issues of reproductive rights, housing, and economic and racial justice. Most recently, she was the Director of Programs at The Food Group – an organization working at the intersection of food access and nutrition. She has also served as the Director of Housing and Economic Justice at Violence Free Minnesota – the statewide coalition working to end relationship abuse.

Ho holds a BA in Sociology and Political Science from Hamline University and an MA in Public Policy and Leadership from the University of St Thomas. Outside of work, Ho enjoys eating her way through the Twin Cities, long extended road trips, and building a loving community of friends and family. She lives with her wife in St. Paul.