Donna leads both the Chapel Hill and Durham geographies, working with staff, Advocates, Members, and the Board of Directors. She stewards organizational vision and growth for all of CEF. Donna supports both offices in developing partnerships to secure housing justice and financial security for all Members. Donna’s passions are music, Jeopardy, Mahjong, and cooking shows.

Jessica is the Member Services and Programs Manager (MSPM) at CEF. In her role she supports program staff, guides program strategy, and manages reporting for Member Services and Advocate Programs for the Durham and Chapel Hill offices. Prior to joining CEF, Jessica was a coordinator and advocate with Compass Center, and began her career as a community research analyst at Forsyth Futures. Jessica is passionate about community, qualitative research and storytelling, mental health advocacy, access to quality and affordable housing, and racial justice. She believes in working collaboratively with the community to build thriving communities. In her spare time, Jessica enjoys cooking, dancing, hiking, reading, and yoga.

Bianca joined CEF Durham in the spring of 2024 as the Office and Community Organizer. In her role, she enjoys getting to know Members while working at the front desk and organizing various advocacy efforts including facilitating DU Meeting of the Minds, scheduling community classes, and co-directing the CEF Freedom Liberation Ensemble. When she’s not in the office, you can find Bianca singing, picnicking, doing yoga, drinking coffee, and spending time with loved ones.

Jessika is the Member Resource Specialist for CEF’s Durham office. Prior to joining CEF in this capacity, Jessika served individuals in crisis on both local and national levels. These experiences led to Jessika’s increased passion for embracing intergenerational communication and storytelling spaces as resources in proactive and preventative efforts toward equitable access. In her spare time Jessika is devoted to healing through the practice of increased self awareness and communicating boundaries as a lived example of safe space for her children to develop, thrive and extend to others.

Wren is the Member Services Coordinator for the Durham office. She stewards all services provided to members of the Durham office and helps ensure that Members have access to a diverse pool of resources that is reflected in meetings with Advocates, CEF’s online database, and the Durham office’s free clothing closet and menstrual product cabinet. She also helps maintain CEF’s relationship with a variety of local service providers. Wren was drawn to CEF because of their commitment to fostering deeper relationships with Members centered around the understanding that people are creative, resourceful, and whole. Outside of this role, Wren is passionate about reproductive education and does birth work as a hospital doula. Wren also loves thrifting, nature walks, birds, poetry, and baking.

Shuhud is the Advocate Program Coordinator (APC) at the Durham CEF office. Her journey with CEF began in her position as an Advocate at the Chapel Hill office which has not only given her ample experience in the work she does now but also a first-hand look at what engaging and building community with Members looks like. Her role involves leading recruitment efforts, developing trauma-informed, equity focused trainings and supporting the work of Advocates in the office. In her spare time, Shuhud enjoys binge watching TV, spending time with friends and her partner, and is involved in community organizing in the Chapel Hill and Durham communities.