about us
Shanti exists to enhance the health, quality of life and well-being of people living with life-threatening illnesses. Each year, we serve over 2,000 women and men living with HIV/AIDS and over 450 living with breast cancer, many of whom are low-income and medically underserved. We provide culturally and linguistically competent Care Navigation, basic in-home assistance including practical and emotional support through trained staff and long-term volunteer care-givers, as well as health education, wellness and survivorship classes and events. For many of our clients, Shanti is their sole care advocate during this extreme time of need.
Building on the successes of our HIV/AIDS program and responding to changing community needs, in 2001 we established the Breast Cancer Program to mitigate factors that lead to the disproportionate rates of breast cancer mortality among vulnerable San Francisco populations.
We were honored that a private donor, Michael Murphy, made a multi-year grant to the program in memory of his wife, Margot Murphy. To commemorate this, the program was officially renamed Shanti's Margot Murphy Breast Cancer Program in November 2013.
We are also proud to report that we expanded the program to include women with any gynecologic cancer, for which we began enrollment in August 2014.
All of our services are free of charge and confidential. We can meet you at your home, at our office, or wherever you feel most comfortable to make sure you get the services you need. Staff is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, Toisanese, Spanish and English. Please contact 415-674-4770.
our staff
Lauren Villa
Director
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5
Tel: (415) 674-4770
Email: lvilla@shanti.org
Lauren joined the Shanti team in 2014 as Program Manager for Shanti’s Margot Murphy Breast Cancer Program. Prior to Shanti, Lauren worked as a Fellow for the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative in Baltimore, Maryland to implement the Obama administration’s national strategy on creating healthy housing. She worked with project sites across the country and reported findings on energy efficiency, weatherization, and sustainability to the White House Office of Recovery, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Energy. Lauren also brings to Shanti her experience serving as a university instructor at the Asian University for Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh where she taught language and composition and served as a teaching assistant for history, philosophy and ethics. Most recently, Lauren has focused her work here in the Bay Area, working as a public health consultant for local non-profits to tackle issues on homelessness and pregnancy, access to health care for uninsured immigrants, and gun violence among youth.
Lauren holds a BA in Writing Seminars from Johns Hopkins University, where she was an Avery Scholar. Her research has been featured in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Journal, Epidemic Proportions and also on RH Reality Check, where she is a featured contributor. She earned her MPH in Maternal and Child Health from the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health where she was selected as a 2012-2014 Center for Health Leadership Fellow. Her masters level thesis, “Neighborhood cohesion and adolescent mental health: Lifetime depression and flourishing among America’s youth” explores the relationship between neighborhood level factors and adolescent mental health along the mental health continuum. She is a trained birth doula and a Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar.
Ai May Tan
Program Manager
Cantonese, English, Mandarin
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5
Tel: (415) 674-4735
Email: atan@shanti.org
Ai May joined Shanti in 2013 as a Care Navigator with Shanti’s Margot Murphy Breast Cancer Program, and transitioned in 2015 to her role as Program Manager. Prior to joining Shanti, Ai May was working in Asia as a research assistant for two years. Her research work focused on topics related to corporate and strategic business affairs, as well as economic and government initiatives. During this time, she also volunteered with the speech therapy department of the National Stroke Association of Malaysia, where she led multilingual group and individual therapy sessions for adults who had acquired speech and language disorders.
Ai May holds BAs in Linguistics and English Literature from UCLA. Originally from Malaysia, she moved to San Francisco for college and since then left her heart in the city. She is passionate about working within the non-profit sector to provide care and support for the residents of San Francisco.
Allison Bakamjian
Program Services Manager
English, Spanish
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5
Tel: (415) 674-4748
Email: abakamjian@shanti.org
Allison joined Shanti in February 2015 as a Project Associate. She quickly fell in love with the Shanti team and its clients, and she was eager to transition into her role as Program Services Manager in July 2015. Prior to joining Shanti, Allison served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Santa Marta, Colombia, where she executed a variety of projects related to health promotion, girls’ empowerment, and language learning. She previously served as a Bilingual Family Support Specialist, managing a caseload of 90 families of children in Head Start. She also brings extensive experience, having worked as an ESL instructor, a medical interpreter, and a community outreach and volunteer coordinator. She is a social justice advocate and is committed to ensuring that everyone has equal access to the resources necessary to lead a healthy and productive lifestyle.
Allison holds BAs in Latin American Studies and Political Science from Tulane University. She spent six years in New Orleans during the years following Hurricane Katrina, and she is proud to have been a part of the city’s revitalization. Allison has enjoyed getting to know the Bay Area since moving here in 2014. She especially appreciates the many opportunities for cross-cultural exchange, which she finds is one of the most enjoyable aspects of her life and career.
Alyssa Nickell
Director of Research and Program Development
Tel: (415) 674-4781
Email: anickell@shanti.org
Alyssa joined Shanti in 2011 as a Care Navigator and Program Development Manager for Shanti's Margot Murphy Breast Cancer Program, and transitioned in 2012 to her role as Director of Research and Program Development, where she oversees the Shanti’s National and Local L.I.F.E. Programs, as well as agency-wide research, evaluation and new program initiatives.
Prior to Shanti, Alyssa was trained in the Shanti Peer Support Model and first came to Shanti in 2004 as a volunteer massage therapist for the Breast Cancer and the HIV/AIDS programs via the Care Through Touch Institute in San Francisco, where she provided massage therapy to individuals who are homeless or marginally housed, and served as a trainer, grant writer and board member. Alyssa brings to Shanti her experience as a graduate thesis advisor and instructor in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA, and as a trainer/consultant in the design and delivery of intercultural teaching and learning workshops, group facilitation and creative process. She holds a B.S. in Political Science from Northwestern University, an M.Div. from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies/Christian Spirituality from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA.
Katie Lawlor
Research Associate
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5
Tel: (415) 674-4723
Email: klawlor@shanti.org
Prior to joining the Shanti staff, Katie held positions with the Office of Mayor Bloomberg and the U.S. Department of State, and was selected as a 2005-2006 California Executive Fellow with the Office of the Governor. She also has a background in broadcast journalism, spending 3 years living in New York City and working for NBC News.
Katie has a passion for volunteering with hospice and animal rescue organizations. She and her certified therapy dog Bear frequently work with the SOUL (Source of Unconditional Love) Project, Mercy General Hospital’s animal-assisted therapy program.
Katie holds a master’s in Urban Economic Development from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and a B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of Notre Dame.
Mabel Huang
Senior Care Navigator
Cantonese, English, Mandarin
Hours: Tue-Thu 9-5
Tel: (415) 674-4774
Email: mhuang@shanti.org
Mabel joined Shanti’s Breast Cancer Program in 2007 and has thrived in her position as a bilingual Cantonese/English/Mandarin speaking Senior Care Navigator. Prior to Shanti, Mabel worked as an Administrative Assistant at San Francisco’s Chinatown Community Development Center and was a Youth Worker for the San Francisco Public Library Anza Branch. Mabel also interned with the Wu Yee Children Services Chinatown Infant/Toddler Center in San Francisco and has retail experience having been a Sales Supervisor at Treasure Island Gifts. Mabel has a B.A. in Child & Adolescent Development with a concentration in Young Child & Family Development from San Francisco State University.
Millie Ruiz
Senior Care Navigator
English, Spanish
Hours: Mon-Thu 9-5
Tel: (415) 674-4705
Email: mruiz@shanti.org
Millie joined Shanti’s Margot Murphy Breast Cancer Program in 2008 as a bilingual Spanish/English speaking Senior Care Navigator. Prior to Shanti, Millie began her professional career in 1988 as a Psychotherapist in the Neoplesis Hospital in Perú. After relocating to the Bay Area over 14 years ago, she volunteered as a Counselor at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Millie has worked as a Social Worker at the Practical Support Services Community Collaborative in San Francisco and as a Co-Facilitator for “Vida con Esperanza”, a Latino breast cancer support group at Centro de Servicios in Union City, CA. She was the Latino Program Coordinator from 1997-2007 at the Women’s Cancer Resource Center in Oakland, CA and also worked for a Health Research Consultant at the Health Research Association, Inc. Millie has a B.A. and M.S. in Psychology with a specialization in Oncology Therapies from Cayetano Heredia University of Science Humanity, Lima, Perú.
Elsy Hernandez
Care Navigator
English, Spanish
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5
Tel: (415) 674-4781
Email: ehernandez@shanti.org
Elsy joined Shanti in 2015 as a Care Navigator in the Margot Murphy Breast Cancer Program. Prior to Shanti, Elsy worked at the Ronald McDonald House of San Francisco as a Guest Services Representative, serving critically ill children and their families. Elsy’s involvement in the non-profit sector began in 2008, when she was hired as an HIV Test Counselor/Outreach Worker at Mission Neighborhood Health Center (MNHC). Through that position, she served as a health educator and advocate for the monolingual Spanish speaking communities in the Mission District, affected by HIV/AIDS. After leaving MNHC, she went on to work as a Family Advocate at La Casa de las Madres, serving survivors of domestic violence and their children. Elsy’s experience also includes several years of working in Early Childhood Education. She has experience as a Lead Teacher for Infants, an After-School Program Leader for elementary age children, a mentor for at-risk youth, and most recently, as a Family Advocate at Wu Yee Children’s Services, where she worked with low-income children and families enrolled in Head Start.
Elsy is a native San Franciscan. She has a dedication and passion for giving back to the communities she grew up in. She currently volunteers as a counselor at San Francisco Women Against Rape. Elsy has a Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Development from San Francisco State University and an Associate Degree in Social and Behavioral Science from City College of San Francisco.
Janice Huang
Care Navigator
Cantonese, English, Mandarin
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5
Tel: (415) 674-4700
Email: jhuang@shanti.org
Janice joined Shanti in 2015 as a Care Navigator with Shanti’s Margot Murphy Breast Cancer Program. Janice, who identifies herself as an Asian American, fell in love with nonprofits after she moved to San Francisco from China. Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King’s selfless dedication and strong determination, Janice quickly developed a deep passion for social work, which requires serving people with dignity, understanding, and compassion. Moreover, Janice’s lifetime mission is to show care for and bring positivity to those she comes in contact with. This resolve stuck with her through college, leading her to get her AS in Social and Behavioral Science from City College of San Francisco and BA in Social Work from San Jose State University. Over the past 6 years, Janice has provided services and support to clients and participants in various organizations, including Chinese Newcomer Service Center, On Lok Lifeway, Institute on Aging, Martin De Porres, and Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County. Janice happily spends her days contributing to Shanti Project and participating in the growth of the Margot Murphy Breast Cancer Program. In her spare time, Janice enjoys reading, singing, dancing, and indoor and outdoor sports.
Lily Tsen
Care Navigator and Wellness Coordinator
Cantonese, English
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5
Tel: (415) 674-4753
Email: ltsen@shanti.org
Lily joined Shanti in 2013 as a Care Navigator with Shanti's Margot Murphy Breast Cancer Program. Prior to joining Shanti as staff, Lily began volunteering with Shanti in 2008. It was the Peer Support Volunteer Training that inspired her to pursue Master's degrees in Psychological Counseling and School Counseling in 2009. While completing her graduate training at Teacher's College at Columbia University, she worked with a diverse set of patrons (children, adolescents, and adults) through volunteering, practicum, and internship placements. At Stuyvesant High School in New York City, Lily worked in the capacity of a guidance counselor, often managing a caseload of 260 or more students. In addition to her school-based internship, she volunteered to facilitate a female empowerment program for a group of students, who showed difficulty in identifying harmful interpersonal relationships. After returning to the Bay Area, Lily became a counselor to women with severe eating disorders in an intensive residential treatment facility.
Lily is a San Francisco native and has a passion for the culture of its many communities. Her commitment to grassroots and community-oriented causes extend back to high school, where she served as a peer youth leader while volunteering her time with San Francisco Peer Resources and the Chinese Progressive Association. Besides social advocacy, her areas of interest also include multicultural counseling, body image topics, and educational consulting. Lily holds a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Anthropology from UC Berkeley.