Our Story
We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to experience safe and supportive spaces that respect and foster their strengths, creativity and abilities. Since 1994, Home Away has enriched the lives of thousands of children and youth impacted by homelessness, providing emotional, social, recreational and educational support. Our multi-faceted programs create supportive environments in which homeless youth can attain their full potential, live healthy lives, and break the cycle of homelessness and poverty.
Our Team
Michelle Salling - House Program Manager
Michelle Salling- House Program Manager
Michelle is a California native, originally from Calistoga in the north end of the Napa Valley. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies from San Diego State University, and has been dedicated to working with kids in both a classroom setting and enrichment programs for over 30 years. She has a diverse background in her past experience as a middle school classroom teacher, an enrichment art and science teacher, a special education assistant, a coach, and she created and developed an after school program which she directed for almost 10 of those 30 years. As Program Manager of The School House, she enjoys creating a safe, comfortable place for her students, and is dedicated to building community and enacting positive social change through enrichment and providing new opportunities and experiences.
Laura Sander - College and Career Program Manager
Laura is from Memphis, Tennessee. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Peace and Global Studies and minors in Education and Native American Studies at Earlham College.
Having gone to eleven schools from K-college, she decided to continue her educational journey and became a Middle School teacher. During these twelve years, she valued the time inside and outside of the classroom with her students, organizing weekly community service opportunities and field trips, as well as organizing multiple annual overnight trips to enrich the students’ overall life experience, much like the focus of A Homeaway From Homelessness. She eventually became an Administrative Director and thoroughly enjoyed her time as a principal. Her career then shifted gears and she became an active travel guide and currently runs her own active travel company.
Laura joined A Homeaway From Homelessness in 2010 first as a Beach House volunteer and then a few years later as a School House volunteer. In 2021, Laura joined Homeaway’s Advisory Board and in 2022, became the College and Career and High School Program Manager. She is drawn to Homeaway’s focus on the whole child and invested in helping each student maximize their potential.
Mariana Lopez Quintanilla - Industry Director
Mariana Lopez Quintanilla is a native of Venezuela who started her journey in the educational field in 1998, working in early childhood education and academic support for students with ADHD. In 2007, she managed a program for refugee youth in Miami-Dade County. There she ensured that families understood the educational system and that students received services that supported their academic and social development.
In 2009, Mariana joined Bay Area Community Resources, where she has worked in the out of school field in different capacities serving thousands of students every year and is now supporting a team of youth development and family services professionals in San Francisco and Marin County. She is passionate about working toward equity in education, implementing strategies to develop quality programs, and finding resources that inspire students and staff to learn and grow.
2014 Mariana received the BACR Best Practices Award for the Expanded Learning Industry and a Golden Bell Award from the Marin County Office of Education for Student Programs. She completed a fellowship in 2016 with the National Equity Project and, in 2020, the National After School Matters Fellowship with the National Institute of Out of School Time. In 2022, Mariana received a Non-profit Management and Leadership certification from Duke University.
Advisory Board
Don Blasky
Laura Sander
Rebecca Busch
Kristen Schepker
Jennifer Wong
Julie Garza
Cameron Hunter
Alex Sargiss
Hiroko Ninomiya
Sonja Steck