Brenda Rivas is a Program Coordinator with Meals on Wheels of Salinas Valley (MOWSV) where she started as Program Administrator in 2020 in the middle of the COVID 19 Pandemic. As Program Coordinator she schedules meals for seniors, coordinates volunteers, and helps in planning senior events in Salinas and rural communities. She enjoys interacting with new seniors and finding more resources for them but mostly she loves seeing the joy in their faces during these senior social events.

Brenda completed her education in El Salvador where she was born and raised. She graduated from Albert Einstein University with a degree in Architecture. She worked in this field for more than fifteen years, both in her native country as well as in the US. Once she immigrated to the USA, Brenda continued pursuing her education and obtained a certificate in Drafting AutoCAD technology from Hartnell College. Plus, she did two years of Interior Design at the Academy of Arts University in San Francisco.

She also obtained a license in Property and Casualty insurance, Life and Health insurance, and Notary Public. She worked for more than 10 years as a Property, Casualty, and Life insurance agent.

Brenda lives her life with purpose and passion. She likes helping people in her local and international communities. This passion has led her to join and actively volunteer in clubs and organizations such as Salinas Steinbeck Rotary Club, League of United Latin American Citizens, Madonna Del Sasso Catholic Church Pastoral Council, Dorothy’s Kitchen, United Way and Blue Zones Project among other groups and organizations. 

Outside of work, Brenda loves to spend quality time with her husband (US Marine veteran) and her daughter (UCLA graduate) with whom she shares a love for traveling, having fun & walking her two dogs Princess Lilly and Sergeant Coco.