Our Founders

Orlando Cardona is the founder and lead pastor of Verbo Redwood City, and the leader of Verbo West Coast, a group of five Verbo churches in California and Canada. Originally from Guatemala City, Orlando has been in the Redwood City, California area since 1985. Orlando founded Verbo church in Redwood City in January, 1999 and has led and helped it grow since then, fulfilling his calling to help the people in the community to learn and grow from striving to thriving in life.

Patty Cardona grew up in Guatemala City, where she met Orlando. They were married in 1982, and in 1987 she moved to Redwood City to join Orlando. Patty worked for ten years at the San Mateo County Head Start office as a home visitor, which allowed her to see parents struggling to provide for their kids. When Orlando started Verbo Patty went to work alongside him, tirelessly running the food distribution program and founding the Sunday School and the dance team, among other ministries and services for the community.

Maria Navarrete is Verbo’s food distribution manager. She first heard about Verbo because of its food program and went to get food for her family. By the third time she visited, she realized she would like to help out with the program. At that time, Verbo’s staff was in transition and they approached Maria to ask if she was looking for a job. They agreed that she could lead the food distribution program, and two-and-a-half years later she is still there.