About Us

Joanna is one of the founding board members and treasure.

Joanna Torres has 16 years’ experience working in the mental health field with non-profit organizations and contract agencies with the County of Orange providing services to families, children and adults. For 8 years she worked as a Mental Health Case Manager working with the homeless population, LBGTQ community, families in crisis, at risk youth, clients suffering with drug & alcohol abuse and victims of domestic violence. The past 3 years she has worked with foster youth through Olive Crest, a foster and adoption agency that works to help break the cycle of child abuse, and enable at-risk children and families to become healthy, productive citizens. Joanna started as a Residential Manager for a Group Home for female foster-teens then promoted to Program Supervisor for a Transitional Housing Program for foster-teens.  
 

Joanna earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development at Hope International University. She went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in Human Behavior from National University. Over the years during her career in the mental health field, she has earned special certifications specializing in relapse prevention, assault crisis training, trauma-informed care and to work with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. 

Winnie is our board member and avid trip companion.

Winnie Cheng is currently a preschool special education teacher’s assistant with the Irvine Unified School District. Previously she was a preschool teacher for 10 years. She is very involved in her church. She was a Sunday school teacher for preschool-age students for 12 years at her previous churches. She is also the lead volunteer for Exceptional Worship at Mariners Church, as well as a volunteer leader for their foster ministry, a life group leader, and a volunteer team leader for SoulRapha (a nonprofit organization), bringing new activities to seniors at a nursing facility every other month. 

Cheng earned her undergraduate degree in American Studies, an interdisciplinary major including classes in disabilities studies, education, and psychology.  After she graduated from UC Berkeley with her BA degree, she obtained her early intervention and preschool teacher certificates at Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College. After that, she obtained her Early Childhood Special Education teaching credential at Cal State Fullerton. 

Cheng has a heart for children, people with disabilities, seniors, and kids in the foster care system. Mission trips were a great part of her life since high school. She led and trained mission teams to Mexicali to host weekend children’s worship and vocational bible school programs for a Chinese Baptist Church for 7 years. She went on two day trips to Mexico to help build a church 8 years ago with Mariner’s Church. She went on her first real international mission trip to Costa Rica with Orphans and You Matter in December 2021 and plans to go on more trips in the future. She has a servant’s heart and wants to fearlessly serve the vulnerable and oppressed like Jesus did. 

Oscar Aviles is the Executive Director of Orphans and You Matter, Org. 

He is also a client service specialist who helps Americans retire by providing service and information about mutual fund accounts.  He researches and gathers facts concerning complex requests and sensitive issues when making business decision, and also assists management with a continuous process, quality improvements efforts, issues resolutions, and applicable regulations and legal requirements. Aviles formerly served as an advisor for Argentina Ministries, a nonprofit providing financial support to an orphanage in Baton, Argentina. He also served as a board member at Arts for Healing where he contributed his time, talent and funding of the organization. The organization helps all ages find healing through painting their emotions on canvass.  He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Vanguard University. He also has background in the banking/credit union industry because he worked for the Schools First Federal Credit Union for 14 years.  He later became the trainer and business development officer for the organization.  Aviles started his career understanding the credit union the philosophy of people helping people and was influenced by this philosophy. Aviles volunteered his time and talent on a month-long journey to fundraise, organize and provide shoes to orphans and undeserved children in Argentina, Brazil and Chile.  He was so impact by a mission’s trip he took to Argentina and seeing children living in the garbage area. Now he travels the world representing Orphans and You Matter and helping those that need it the most- the future generation. 

Who do we serve?

We do outreaches to orphanages, children's homes and low-income communities in various countries. 

What we provide?

We serve the community by providing shoes, clothing or food. 

Where we serve?

We go to any country that opens the door to us.  Currently we have visited Central America but have been to South America and across the ocean into Europe. We recently helped in Romania.