Who We Are
Founder’s Story
Audrey's commitment to this work is personal as well as professional, shaped by her own experience of what it's like to navigate early adulthood without a safety net. Years later, working as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in Washoe County, she watched the same pattern repeat: young people aging out of foster care without the resources to build the skills needed for a stable foundation.
Why High Desert Forage Was Created
High Desert Forage was founded to address a gap in Washoe County's foster care system: food security and life-skills support for foster families and youth aging out of care. Too often, the safety net that most people take for granted—a stocked pantry, someone to call when things go sideways, steady support while building independence—disappears the moment a young person turns 18.
High Desert Forage exists to close that gap, providing the kind of steady, upstream support that helps young people build stable, self-sufficient lives.
Our Vision
A community where foster families and transition-age youth have consistent access to food security and the practical life skills needed to build lasting independence.
Our Mission
High Desert Forage provides food security resources and life-skills support to foster families and youth aging out of care in Washoe County, helping them build stable, self-sufficient futures.
Meet the Board
Audrey Kim, MBA
Founder and President
Audrey brings a career in healthcare compliance and quality systems development and defense, with experience spanning FDA QMSR, ISO 13485, and MDSAP frameworks, along with an MBA in Healthcare Administration. She is pursuing a Doctor of Public Health at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, with an eye toward shaping policies that serve child welfare on a broader scale.
Before calling Reno home, Audrey grew up in rural Nebraska, and her love of the outdoors and hands-on advocacy work—from CASA casework to founding HDF—has shaped how she approaches this mission: practical, rooted, and committed to the long haul. Today, she lives in Reno with her husband, Robert, and their cat, Alice.
Robert Kim, MD
Robert is a hospitalist physician who has practiced in Reno since 2020, following his residency in the city beginning in 2017. He earned his medical degree from Rosalind Franklin University in Chicago and holds a B.S. in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley. On High Desert Forage's board, Robert serves as Treasurer, bringing both a clinician's perspective and a steady hand for the financial and operational groundwork of a growing nonprofit.
Originally from Los Angeles, Robert is an avid traveler, board game enthusiast, and self-described foodie—pursuits that keep him curious about the world beyond the hospital. He lives in Reno with his wife, Audrey, and their cat, Alice.
Treasurer