Teresa Garate

Teresa Garate is a health and safety professional with six years of experience in the nonprofit sector, currently in her sixth year building and leading the health and safety department at Abode, a Bay Area organization focused on housing and supportive services. In her role, she performs field inspections of housing programs, conducts internal assessments, develops health and safety policies, and collaborates with departments such as quality improvement and human resources on initiatives including harm reduction. She also works with the Lived Experience Advisory Board to enhance participant safety during office visits. Garate attended Downtown College Prep in San Jose and is completing her Bachelor's of Arts in Applied Management at Grand Canyon University, with three classes remaining and an anticipated graduation in 2027. She is fluent in Spanish, for which she received a high school award, and remains actively involved in community efforts such as volunteering at the D Street Homeless Shelter in Richmond, teaching Sunday school, and participating in mission trips focused on house building.