Lee Anna Stoker’s journey has been defined by a search for meaning and a relentless passion for freedom. From her early days as a student exploring alternative culture groups to her current role as a globally recognized community leader, Lee Anna has dedicated her life to loving people unconditionally and nurturing them toward maturity and personal wellbeing.
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Lee Anna went to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics to pursue knowledge of quantum and astro physics so she could understand the nature of Creation. In between, she went to a Grateful Dead show and spontaneously left on “Dead Tour,” living in parking lots and old caves to explore the nature of community. Her foundation in grassroots organizing began at Evergreen State College, where she earned a degree in Revolution. Her early career saw her "joining the revolution" during the Zapatista uprising in Mexico, organizing labor rights for farm workers with the AFL-CIO in California, and developing intermediate technologies for Incan farmers in the Andes Mountains of Peru. These diverse international and local experiences shaped her unique perspective on community development and the complexities of human suffering.
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Upon returning to the United States, Lee Anna landed at the fringes of society, living homelessly among drug users and commercial sex workers in New Orleans; an experience that gave her an intimate understanding of life on the edge. This lived experience of chaos became the fuel for her life’s work.
7 years on the road taught Lee Anna Stoker everything she knows about vision-driven leadership
In the late 1990s, Lee Anna moved to her home state of North Carolina and founded First Fruit Ministries in Wilmington with her husband, Rick. What began as a humble effort to provide food and supplies to homeless neighbors living in the street evolved into a comprehensive organization offering a "safe landing" for those traumatized by homelessness and human trafficking.
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For almost thirty years, Lee Anna has been a pillar of the Cape Fear region’s humanitarian efforts. She was a founding member of the Executive Committee for the region’s Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness and served as chairperson for the local consortium of homeless service providers. In 2009, she expanded her vision by founding Open Vision International to cultivate just, sustainable communities, recently opening a humanitarian aid center for Holocaust survivors in Tel Aviv.
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Recognized in 2015 with the Cape Fear Council of Governments’ Leadership Award, Lee Anna continues to innovate. In 2020, she launched C.A.S.T. (Collaborative Against Sex Trafficking) to create a robust response network on the Carolina Coast. Today, Lee Anna is a sought-after speaker and innovator who empowers communities to tame their chaos by designing strategies rooted in personal growth, systemic solutions, and unconditional love.