Paul J. Bains is a community organizer and entrepreneur who owned and operated BFM for 15 years. As a business owner, he has managed up to 111 employees at a given time. Paul and Cheryl Bains started and launched Project WeHOPE in 1999. He has been the pastor of Saint Samuel Church of God in Christ for 20 years. He oversees the chaplaincy program in East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. In addition, he sits on a number of boards to include, CWG and The Boys and Girls Club.
Cheryl Bains earned her B.S. in Mathematics from Clark Atlanta University. She has spent her career in banking and administration and has nearly 20 years of experience as an Accounting Manager and Human Resources Director. Cheryl is the founder of Alpha Prime youth volleyball league which trains low income youth to be competitive through technical skills training and life skills.
Alicia Garcia earned her B.A. in music from Patten University; an M.A. in Organizational Leadership in Education from Patten University, and an Early Childhood Education Certification and Licensed Bridal Consultant Certification from Penn Foster College. She is the author of Overcoming Obstacles, The Journey of Project WeHOPE and The Nonprofit’s Guide to Making it Rain.
Dina A. Bartello brings more than 20 years of nonprofit fundraising experience with her to WeHOPE, having raised over $110 million across a variety of local and national organizations to include, The American Lung Association, Project Angel Food, and most recently, the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. She holds a BA in English, an MFA in Elizabethan Literature and recently received an MA in Public Policy from UCLA.
Marcus was born in East Palo Alto and raised in Sunnyvale. He studied math and engineering at Morehouse College, graduating with a degree in math and a minor in religion. After continuing his education at Harvard Divinity School, Marcus earned a Masters in Divinity Studies and served as a pastor in several Bay Area churches.
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