Meet FTN’s Team – For the Need Foundation

FTN Staff and Board Members

Serving Our Communities Together

FTN has a well-rounded and trusted team who work hard for the cause.

Through dedication and coordination, For The Need's Team is the key running parts of this non-profit organization. They are the true backbone in assisting children from various backgrounds through different events and aid.

Allie Spaccarelli - Director

allie@fortheneed.org

Allie is the Director of For the Need Foundation, running the whole operation and doing everything she can to see it succeed and expand. Allie has been volunteering with For the Need since before she can even remember. Being the eldest daughter to founders Myan and Viviana Spaccarelli put her in the unique position of being rooted in the mission and deeply involved in especially the Bow & Arrow Mentorship Program founding and growth.

Because of Allie's early exposure to charity work, Allie was able to tailor her education, internships, leadership positions, and more toward setting her up to do this well. While in college, Allie worked part-time at For the Need while interning at other national organizations to learn from them and began full-time at FTN when she graduated from Hillsdale College with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics.

In her limited free time, Allie enjoys hiking, Bible Study, playing ultimate frisbee, and spending time with her friends and family. Allie has been director since the start of 2024, and she dreams of For the Need growing into a multi-state organization run 99% by volunteers!

Taylor Pizinger - Program Coordinator

taylor@fortheneed.org

Taylor is the newest member of the For the Need family. With years of experience in administration, event planning, marketing, and more, Taylor brings a unique perspective to things. Her creativity shines in the flyers she has helped create, in her social media management, and even in the procedures she has written!

Taylor is a mom of two girls who recently bought her forever home with her husband Geoff. She loves to read, craft, and bake when she isn’t playing at the park with her little ones. Her favorite TV show at the moment is Bridgerton, so if you’re also interested, she’d love to hear your thoughts! Taylor coordinates volunteers, program families, and our Bow & Arrow Mentorship Program. She has bonded with the FTN family well, and she continues to shine bright in creating new possibilities for the future.

Dawn Johnson - Controller and Board Secretary

dawn@fortheneed.org

Dawn has been part of the For the Need family for a whopping ten years this August, 2024. When Myan and Viviana began the process of launching the Bow & Arrow Mentorship Program, Dawn was instrumental in organizing the events while she still held her full-time job. Dawn has proven to be a key asset to FTN, keeping the bookkeeping in order, maintaining FTN's 501(c)3 status, helping with grants, and more. And we can't write about Dawn without mentioning her very cute side-kick, Chloe. Chloe is not only a service dog, but she is part of the family too, greeting those who visit the office.

Myan Spaccarelli - Founder and Board President

myan@fortheneed.org

Myan Spaccarelli has been making a difference in the lives of young people ever since he can remember. He has always had a passion for mentoring kids and being a fun adult they can feel comfortable around. As a kid, he learned hard work and perseverance from his parents, and he learned about giving back at a young age. Myan grew up in The Valley with two parents, two half-siblings, one brother, and a youngest sister who first joined their family as a foster child. He graduated from El Camino High School and had not even finished high school before starting his own business: Spaccarelli Hauling. After buying out his partner who became influenced by substances, Myan became sole owner and pushed on to build one of the largest waste and recycling companies in the LA Area at the time.

Viviana Spacarelli - Founder

viviana@fortheneed.org

Viviana married Myan in 1996. and has been crucial in helping to bring Myan's vision of charity and good-will to reality. Viviana was the master-mind behind the massive Christmas parties at the LA General Medical Center for twenty-one of the past twenty-four years. In 2023,

Viviana grew up in Lima, Peru where the majority of the country lives in deep poverty. She witnessed children working, house-staff who worked long hours for extremely low pay, and lots of underdeveloped areas and people living in unfinished houses. These experiences along with her strong faith helped shape her heart for service.

Myan and Viviana have three kids, all of whom are active in the foundation. She is deeply involved in her church, hosting fun events for the teens and leading the teens with Myan on a regular basis. Viviana is also very active in the foundation. As a board member, she volunteers at every For the Need event in a variety of roles. Viviana steps in wherever she can make a difference, and she is a staple in our foundation and to the kids.

Viviana's favorite thing to do is spend time with her family, and when she has extra time, going scrapbooking with her friends.

Danny Spaccarelli - Board Member

dan@spartantruck.com

Growing up in the Bronx without any money or heat in the winter was no walk in the park for Danny. He experienced the harships of growing up with very little in a big family. After being shipped off to California, Danny became a member of Alcoholics Anonymous and has been completely sober forty-four years.

While his kids were still in the house, he and his wife of now fifty-five years, Karol Spaccarelli, fostered thirteen children and adopted one of them. All children who came through their home instantly became part of the family as Karol and Danny fostered an environment of love and family. These kids expressed a profound gratitude to the Spaccarellis for changing their lives and loving them when they had no where else to go.

Danny worked the bulk of his life as a travelling salesman bringing in some of the biggest and best customers for Myan's company Spartan Truck Company. Although retired, eighty-five year-old Danny stays quite busy pursuing new partnerships for For the Need, mentoring AA members, being active in the lives of his nine grandchildren, and maintaining his garden.

One of Danny's claims to fame is being the individual who secured our foundational partnership with The Salvation Army.

Nathan Spaccarelli - Volunteer

Nathan has been volunteering with For the Need since before he could even walk, as his parents founded For the Need in 1999. As he has grown, his involvement has only increased. As a member of our Program Development Team, his input on the "fun level" of our activities and curriculum has been instrumental in the development of our program that will stand the test of time for years to come. Not only does he provide input behind the scenes, but he has been a Crossbow "Mentor in Training" since the start of the Bow & Arrow Mentorship Program and a Bow (Mentor) since turning 18, in 2024. Nathan as a Crossbow and a Bow has made a positive impact on countless children in For the Need's programs. FTN is grateful for Nathan's commitment to going above and beyond what was required of him as a member of the founding family.