
I’ve been living in the San Diego/Tijuana Border region for over 15 years now doing everything from grant-making to wine-making! Professionally-speaking, and ever since graduating from CIE in ‘96, I’ve worked within the non-profit & philanthropic sectors, focusing my work on social justice issues within immigrant, refugee, indigenous & border-based communities of the US and Mexico.
From 2004 to 2006 I did program design and evaluation with the Alianza para el Desarrollo Sustentable (ADESU). ADESU’s work was based in Baja California, Mexico. My work with them was with Native American communities of these borderlands, engaging community members in participatory evaluation processes revolving around their micro enterprise projects, including an eco-tourism project & a regional crafts market. Subsequently I worked as a program officer with the San Diego Foundation for Change for 4 years.
In the last 3 years, I’ve also set up a small business as a Spanish-English interpreter & translator. When not working, I cook, I garden, I read and I volunteer my time with food & environmental justice projects in my region. ¡Mi casa es tu casa aquí en San Diego, California! [2-21]
Email: arpuentes@gmail.com