BALLANTINE AND ESDAILE ELECTED TO THE PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Molly Ballantine and Caroline Esdaile have been elected to serve on the Board of Directors of Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People. The two new directors will serve three year terms.

Molly Ballantine earned her BA Degree in English Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a graduate of the Cordon Bleu Cooking School in New York City (NYC). While living in NYC, she started and operated a take home gourmet food store and taught cooking in the South Bronx for City Harvest, a nonprofit that collects food from restaurants and businesses and distributes it to missions and other institutions.

Since moving to the Santa Ynez Valley three years ago, Molly has become an active member of St. Mark’s in The Valley in Los Olivos and Hidden Wings in Solvang, a nonprofit dedicated to helping young adults with autism. In partnership with St. Mark’s and People Helping People, Molly started the program “Cooking Counts” which teaches families with limited resources how to shop for and prepare nutritious low cost meals. Molly lives in the Valley with her husband Rick and their son JJ.

Caroline Esdaile, who earned her Master of Arts Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Chapman University, is currently a 5th grade teacher at Vista de Las Cruces School in Gaviota where she has worked for a total of 20 years.  After being involved in education for over 30 years and raising three children, Caroline remains passionate about recognizing the unique potential of every child. She currently serves as the teacher representative on the Vista del Mar Education Foundation. Caroline is originally from England but immigrated to California in 1986 with her husband David. The Esdaile’s reside in Buellton.

Founded in 1992, PHP is a non-profit charity serving the Santa Ynez Valley, Los Alamos Valley, and the Gaviota Coast.  PHP’s mission is to “improve the lives of men, women, and children by addressing emergency and basic needs, furnishing comprehensive integrated family and individual support services, and acting as a catalyst for positive community change.”