Jessica Marcetti is the Senior Manager of Community Engagement at Vista Maria, where she plays a vital role in overseeing our fundraising events, community outreach, and volunteer programs. She also manages the Vista Boutique, a special space where youth can “shop” for items they need or want, all free of charge. Jessica is passionate about helping our youth feel beautiful and stylish in the boutique, energizing our incredible volunteers, and embracing the excitement of each event day.
When she’s off the clock, Jessica enjoys relaxing at home with her husband and two tuxedo cats, indulging in New York Times puzzles, especially Spelling Bee and Connections.
Jessica embodies the spirit of Vista Maria, combining a deep commitment to our mission with a genuine love for the community we serve. Her work not only enriches the lives of the youth, but also strengthens the bonds between Vista Maria and the broader community. We are grateful for her leadership and dedication, which make a profound difference in the lives of so many.
Learn more about Jessica’s insights and experiences at Vista Maria in our Q&A session with her below.
Q: What do you love about your job?
A: Everything. But my incredible team of brilliant, creative, hardworking, and caring women is at the top of the list. I also love going out into the community and telling people about Vista Maria and how they can get involved. In my career working with volunteers, I have learned that most people are kind and generous and want to give back to their community, but they don’t know where to start. It brings me a lot of joy to tell the story of Vista Maria and our youth in a way that makes people want to volunteer with us, out of all the opportunities out there, because I’ve made them feel connected to our mission.
Q: What do you wish people knew about Vista Maria?
A: I wish more people knew about the full breadth of services we offer. Whenever I finish giving a public presentation, at least one person always says, “Wow! I had no idea Vista Maria did all of that!” Through foster care (our largest program), residential mental health treatment, transitional living for youth aging out of foster care, community independent living, aftercare, wraparound services, and the two schools we have on campus, we serve nearly 500 youth every year.
Q: What are you looking forward to in your current role?
A: Christmas! Our Holiday Wish List program is everyone’s favorite. We start planning in July to bring Christmas magic to every child on our campus, plus our clients in independent living and some of our amazing foster families. Our team works incredibly hard throughout December to give every child exactly what they asked for on their Wish List. Our entire building becomes like the North Pole, and it’s just a really joyful time. I can’t wait!
Q: What are you currently reading?
A: I really only read nonfiction, and I just finished a book called Unmask Alice, which is about the woman who ghostwrote the famous (or infamous?) Go Ask Alice “diary.” It was wild to learn that Go Ask Alice wasn’t actually written by a teenage girl addicted to drugs, but by a middle-aged Mormon woman from Utah pretending to have a PhD in psychology. For anyone who read Go Ask Alice in high school, this was pretty fascinating.
To learn more about Vista Maria, including what we do and who we help, please visit vistamaria.org/about-us.