Open Heart Kitchen Appoints John Bost As New Executive Director

LIVERMORE, CA — Open Heart Kitchen, the largest hunger service nonprofit in the Tri-Valley, has appointed John Bost as its new executive director.

Bost, who is currently lead pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Livermore and has served as Advisory Council President of the Livermore Homeless Refuge since 2013, will take over on Jan. 1. He will replace current Executive Director Heather Greaux, who will serve as Open Heart CFO.

“My decision to transition into a supportive role was contingent on finding a suitable replacement,” Greaux said in a statement. “John’s fundraising experience, business acumen, and community connections will be invaluable to the next phase of this project and the continuation of our mission.”

Bost has over 20 years experience with nonprofit and religious leadership. He has served as pastor and head of staff at Holy Cross since 2007, and also served as executive director and board chairman of the Haitian Timoun Foundation from 2008-2010.

At the Livermore Homeless Refuge, Bost increased organizational funding by 500%, and assisted in the planning of the Vineyard 2.0 overnight shelter, according to an Open Heart news release. Bost will help Open Heart achieve its goal of launching Vineyard 2.0 in summer 2023.

The Vineyard project aims to build supportive housing at 450 N. Livermore Avenue. In addition to featuring housing units, it will offer:

• Temporary overnight shelter
• Showers, laundry, storage, and mailbox services
• 3,100-square-foot dining room able to serve 100 diners at a time
• Permanent dining space
• A commercial kitchen to expand meal production
• Community room to host social workers and health care information officers

See here for more information on the project.

“The board was looking for an outcome-driven leader to guide us through some big upcoming changes while building upon our recent successes and continuing to deliver on our core mandate,” Open Heart Kitchen’s Board Chair Michael Haase said in a statement. “We are confident in John’s ability to rise to the challenge and ensure our community has equitable access to nutritious food today, while building a food secure tomorrow.”

For more information, visit openheartkitchen.org.