20 under 40: Amanda Hughes

Favorite quote or saying, why?

I was fortunate to hear Father Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries present last March in Stanislaus County, and these words still resonate with me:

“You are so much more than the worst thing you’ve ever done.”

It speaks to forgiveness, tolerance and renewal all in one breath. When we begin our conversations from a place of empathy, ice melts and mountains move.

Community or professional highlights:

As the program director at Stanislaus Community Foundation, my focus is on how our organization can effectively use philanthropic dollars to positively impact our county. Whether through scholarships for students with financial need, grants to support innovation in the social sector, or designing professional development opportunities for emerging leaders, the Stanislaus Community Foundation continues to plant seeds of change in our region.

I’m very proud of our foundation’s participation in the Stanislaus READS! initiative, a multiagency, multiyear effort to help children read at grade level by the end of third grade. This critical milestone is the most important predictor for high school graduation and career success and marks the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. To date, we have raised over $400,000 from local donors and larger foundations in support of Stanislaus READS! programs, including the Imagination Library free monthly book program, summer enrichment camps at six pilot schools, and family engagement and community outreach events across Stanislaus County. We also helped established a new partnership with The Modesto Bee on the Bee a Reader campaign to raise awareness and increase community support for free summer enrichment opportunities for Stanislaus County children.

Your life changed when:

I started working at Stanislaus Community Foundation. At this moment in time, I realized that a “job” doesn’t have to feel like a grind and it is possible to pursue a paycheck with a purpose. I work with incredible people, my brain is challenged each day, and I’m truly passionate about our mission to advance the common good.

What do you want people to know most about you?

I’m a pragmatic idealist who always roots for the underdog.

What do you like most about living here?

There is something special about living in your hometown. I’m a third-generation Modesto native, and my daughters are fourth-generation. When my family goes out to eat downtown, we bump into neighbors, colleagues, and friends – people who truly know us and connect with our history.

Modesto is also an affordable and convenient place to live. My husband and I own a nice home two blocks from my parents, we can ride our bikes to work, and our daughters can walk safely to school. This is no small thing. My friends who moved to the Bay Area can’t afford to buy a home and barely have space for their children to roam. Although they have access to more amenities, Modesto is starting to compete on the arts and culture front, too (thank you, Gallo Center and State Theater!).

Why is community involvement important?

To be quite frank, we don’t have a choice. In Stanislaus County, many of our families have experienced multiple generations of poverty, which affects our community’s health, education rates, economic development and natural environment. No one agency, school, elected official, nonprofit, or business can fix these systemic problems in a vacuum. To move the needle on our community’s most pressing challenges, we must first acknowledge that we are on this journey together and that each of us has a unique role to play in making Stanislaus County a better place to live.

This story was originally published August 21, 2016 at 5:39 AM with the headline "20 under 40: Amanda Hughes."