Martin's House & Barn

Martin’s House & Barn is pleased to welcome Ouida Joi Cooper- Rodriguez as Director of Case Management & Shelter Operations. In this role, she will lead the development and delivery of programs supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness, including services within the organization’s emergency family shelter. She will also collaborate with community partners, work with grantors and funding agencies, and help strengthen public awareness of Martin’s House & Barn’s mission.

Cooper-Rodriguez graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Science and later earned a Master of Arts in Management. She has completed Master of Social Work coursework at Delaware State University and Salem State University. Her professional background includes more than 18 years as Deputy Executive Director of the Prescott-Joseph Center for Community Enhancement in the San Francisco Bay Area and serving as Founding Executive Director of the Women’s Center for Economic Empowerment.

A veteran of both the United States Air Force, where she served as a Mental Health Specialist/Medical Social Worker, and the California Army National Guard as a Public Affairs and Broadcast Journalist, she received honorable discharges from both branches.

Her volunteer service reflects a deep commitment to community support. She has served as Acting Shelter Director for House of Hope in Dover, Delaware; held board positions with Urban University, Young Women United for Oakland, and the YWCA of Oakland; and volunteered as a financial literacy and job search coach with People’s Place Whatcoat Shelter in Dover, as well as a career development coach with Covenant House in Oakland, California.