Meet The Team
Gwenna Hunter,
Founder/Executive Director
Gwenna Hunter, founder of Vegans of Los Angeles and creator of the first Vegan Food Bank in the city, made history in May 2022 with starting the first vegan food bank in Los Angeles, California and also as the first Black woman to establish a brick-and-mortar Vegan food bank in the country. Her journey into veganism was sparked by a supernatural awakening, a dream where she shared consciousness with a cow, realizing the depth of their emotions and awareness as with all animals. Since adopting a vegan lifestyle in February 2016, Gwenna has been a dedicated activist, working to reshape beliefs around animal treatment and food choices. Through the Vegans of Los Angeles Food Bank, she aims to provide not just food abundance as a birth right but also hope, light, and dignity to our communities, partnering with Hope on Union to increase food security.
Avaion Ruth,
Director of Health Promotion
Avaion Ruth is a graduate student and research assistant at the University of Southern California passionate about the interdependence of food security, nutrition, and human development. He has experience working on various food justice projects across Los Angeles, including the Vegan Outreach COVID-19 Emergency Food Aid Program and the VegansofLA Food Bank. Avaion holds a B.S. in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention studies. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and yoga.
Paige Parsons Roache,
Communications Director/Producer
Paige is a social justice advocate who has been promoting eco-veganism for the past 8 years. After her daughter went vegan at 13 years old, Paige watched “Cowspiracy” and went vegan for environmental reasons. Soon after, she attended a pig vigil, which solidified her commitment to animal rights. For six years, she worked as Producer, Senior Booker and Communications Director for the UnchainedTV global streaming network and is co-host of the cooking show “Plant Based in the ‘Burbs,” showcasing simple plant-based recipes. Her communications promotions, public relations, and marketing work spans over 25 years, working with various non-profits to bring their projects to the public forefront. Contributing to the Vegans of Los Angeles food bank for the past year and a half, Paige supported the nationwide media launch, as well as helped with the foundational aspects of the multiple food banks around the city.