staff

Lisa Yudis -Ristuccia

Financial Assistance Case Manager

Lisa moved to Atlanta in 1981 from Chicago, Illinois and later attended the University of Georgia in Athens, completing her undergraduate in psychology. Lisa continued in the field as a Mental Health Associate in Athens at an inpatient facility working with children, adolescents, and adult populations experiencing a mental health crisis and/or substance misuse and addiction. Later, Lisa worked in the corporate world, moving to Atlanta with her husband where they raised their four children. Lisa volunteered for years running an educational cooperative, engaging her children in volunteer opportunities within their community. It was during this time that Lisa recognized her need to return to community engagement in a more formal capacity. She returned to school to complete her Master of Social Work, relying upon her experience with populations challenged with homelessness, addiction, and mental health challenges to guide her passion.

Lisa first collaborated with Giving Kitchen as a graduate student for her Capstone Project. Along with her team, Lisa created the platform for the inaugural Giving Kitchen Social Worker Conference. This hybrid event connected social workers across 27 different organizations and multiple states, recognizing that social workers can be key in engaging clients with assistance.

Lisa is an enthusiastic thrifter, furniture refinisher and all-around handywoman. When she’s not working, she can be found spending time with her family out in nature or frequenting thrift stores for rare and unusual finds. She lives in Cumming with her husband and two children, highly sensitive dog, Luna, and their two Golden Comet chickens.