About Us | Ignatians West

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Thank you for your interest in Ignatians West!

Ignatians West volunteers bring their talent, wisdom, skills, and experience to the provision of direct community service. Rather than initiating service projects, Ignatians West matches volunteer skills and interests with existing projects and programs of partner agencies in urban communities throughout the greater Los Angeles area. In addition, IW provides the volunteers with a yearlong program of Ignatian Spirituality directed toward building a community that discusses and reflects on their service experiences.

We partner with non-profit agencies, institutions, and organizations that offer service to people who are poor or marginalized, who are consciously caring for the earth and who can offer meaningful volunteer experiences to mature adults.

Our History

Ignatians West continues the important intergenerational work of James Conroy, S.J. and Charlie Costello, S.J., who founded the Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1995, with the purpose of offering semi-retired or retired adults the opportunity to volunteer at non-profit organizations serving people who were poor or marginalized.

In 2007, IVC Los Angeles was launched with a small group of experienced advocates for social justice and a Jesuit priest, Fr. Randy Roche, SJ, of Loyola Marymount University.

After a lengthy period of discernment, in 2019, IVC Los Angeles incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation to be known as Ignatians West. We selected Randy Roche, SJ to be chairman of our board, and we hired Anne Hansen to be our executive director.

In response to growing levels of interest from our neighbors from the immediate south, in 2025, Ignatians West launched a collaboration with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange and the Loyola Institute for Spirituality to support Ignatians West volunteers in Orange County. Ignatians West now supports approximately 70 volunteers across both Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Ignatians West is a work of the Jesuits West Province, and—with the support of our many generous benefactors—our hardy little nonprofit continues to flourish today.

Our Intrepid Executive Director

We are fortunate that Anne Hansen has been serving as Executive Director of Ignatians West since 2019. Anne recruits our volunteers, identifies appropriate placements for those volunteers, convenes monthly volunteer meetings, and ensures that Ignatian Spirituality remains an integral part of the volunteer experience. She writes reflections on the Sunday readings for the Ignatians West newsletter and is working on a book with her sister, an Episcopal priest, on their shared experience with faith, ministry, and family. When time permits she serves as a spiritual director.

Prior to this position, Anne was involved with a number of ministries in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and for 20+ years wrote a column, Family Time, for the former Los Angeles Catholic newspaper, The Tidings.

She has facilitated numerous workshops and retreats as well as teaching classes on topics related to ministry and spirituality.

Anne has a BA in Psychology from Immaculate Heart College, an M.Ed. in Educational Psychology from California State University Northridge and an MA in Pastoral Theology from Loyola Marymount University.

A native of Los Angeles, Anne lives in Westchester with her husband, where they enjoy the graces and adventures of their five children and nine grandchildren.