Nancy Molina has a passion for the environment and deep faith; both are woven into her three years of service work with Jesuit Volunteer (JV) EnCorps.

As a JV EnCorps volunteer, she brings decades of international experience as a Forest Service field ecologist to her encore work with the Mt. Hood-Willamette National Forest Regional Advisory Committee, helping to shape decisions about federal spending in support of forest health restoration that benefits the community. Projects range from simple (ecological toilets for campgrounds) to complex (decisions about how to best care for tree stands to promote healthier growth). Most recently the committee funded a project that brings at-risk youth groups to work in and help clean up the forest.

Nancy’s spiritual focus led her to earn a Masters in Theology and to participate in refugee-focused encore projects. Last year, her church needed someone to coordinate efforts to host a Syrian refugee family. Nancy said, “Yes!” providing project coordination, publicity and much of the labor to raise funds for the family, including their furnishings and household items. Like many encore-stage adults, she’s motivated to learn about her hometown of 20 years. In 2015, Nancy researched local social service organizations, discovering needs in her suburban community. She chose to work with local refugee families, tutoring kids in their housing complex. Their motivation inspires her, and is one of many gifts that Nancy receives from her service.