Meet the Team
Vickee Moy
Founder and Director
Vickee is an English as a Second Language professor at a community college in Sacramento. She launched Starting Point in June 2017 after being deeply touched by her refugee students’ stories about their lives in their native countries and about their new lives in the U.S. Starting Point is one way she hopes to honor and remember their incredible stories and beautiful lessons about perseverance, strength, hope, and humanity.
As a child of immigrants, Vickee feels a connection with new arrivals and is passionate about helping them begin successful lives in their new country. Along with her husband and three sons, she is excited to reach out to this growing community of newcomers.
Diane Stevenson
Vice President
Diane has been an educator for over 30 years, serving in various capacities including classroom teacher, intervention counselor, Drop Out Prevention coordinator, Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports coach and currently as a district level administrator for Educational Equity.
Through DS Consulting, Diane is helping organizations envision positive change to create a welcoming and equitable environment where all people have the opportunity to achieve their greatest potential. Being a part of Starting Point is an opportunity to extend her reach and passion as we help meet the needs of refugee children.
Diane is grateful to be a mother of two wonderful daughters and wife to an amazing husband who support her passion for this work!
Molly Milazzo
Secretary
Molly has lived and worked in Sacramento since 2015. She started volunteering in earnest with refugees and SIV holders in 2017, collaborating on projects, connecting with local agencies, and helping her new neighbors adapt to life in the U.S. A language-learning enthusiast, she is fluent in Latin American Spanish, conversational in Dari and Pashto, (re-) learning standard Italian and European French, and picking up German and Levantine Arabic. She has a master’s in library and information studies and is currently working towards a paralegal certificate to more effectively assist her community.
Rene Jenkins
Board Member
For over 40 years, Rene Jenkins has been a passionate community leader and co-founder of Multi-Cultural Family Matters, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding support services across Sacramento and beyond. Her work includes mentoring the elderly through the Treasured Relations Program, building youth education through the Elliott Ranch Elementary School Garden, supporting women through Embrace Grace, serving as a relief chaplain and uniting the city in prayer with Elk Grove Citywide Prayer. For the last six years she has served with Starting Point, empowering young refugees as they begin new lives in Sacramento. What makes these missions even more meaningful for Rene is sharing it with her three sons Isaiah, Julian, and Noah who for years work alongside her—turning service into a family legacy of impact, unity, and compassion.
Allen Moy
Allen’s career in finance spans over two decades and includes positions such as finance analyst to assistant controller. He recently retired from Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) as a budget and planning manager and now spends his time serving and volunteering on various boards in the Sacramento and Northern California region and dedicates his time helping in the refugee community through Starting Point.
Shahpoor Ali Benawa
Community Engagement Manager
Originally from Afghanistan, Shahpoor has been an integral part of Starting Point from the very beginning and has served in different capacities to welcome and assist newcomers. He arrived as a refugee himself in 2016 and is now making a difference in the community as he tirelessly works to support recent arrivals.
Sayed Jamil Hamdard
Interpreter, Translator, Cultural Advisor
Sayed is a professional interpreter, translator, and cultural advisor with more than five years of experience. Before becoming a part of our organization, he worked as an interpreter and translator with the U.S. Armed Forces in Afghanistan. Currently he is studying cybersecurity. Sayed is always ready and willing to help Starting Point communicate with the newcomer community.
Partners & Sponsors
Thank you to the foundations, companies, and organizations that have supported our work in
aiding refugee children from around the world!
