The Loya Foundation History
Dr. George Picha, the founder of the Loya Foundation, and Rev. John Loya, the facilitator, have been friends since their high school days in the 60’s. With George’s success in both the medical and business fields he desired to extend a helping hand to people living in desperate poverty. George’s vision was to help support the efforts of individuals who on their own initiative were already working among impoverished peoples. George wanted to directly help the poor by funding projects designed and directed by individuals personally dedicated to serving the poor. The projects are emergency in nature, such as, providing food, clothing, shelter and medical supplies or more long term in scope, such as, developing agriculture, home industry, medical programs and education.
George shared his vision with John and invited him to draw on his expertise and contacts in the foreign mission field to identify persons who are living and working among the poor. If they are engaged in projects and in need of assistance, funding according to the need and availability is offered.
John Loya is a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Cleveland. From 1980 to 1985 John worked as a missionary among the poor in rural El Salvador. During his time there John learned how to meet the needs of the people who lived in poverty, who suffered from hurricanes and earthquakes and who were victims of the violence of a bloody civil war.
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Since 2000 the Foundation has been assisting the poor world-wide to live better, healthier and more productive lives by supporting projects and programs dedicated to serving the poor in 20 countries.
Reflections on John’s experiences and the people he knew in El Salvador can be found in his book Gifts From The Poor, WIPF & STOCK (wipfandstock.com). All proceeds from the sale of the book are a gift to the poor in El Salvador.
George Picha, M.D.
Is the founder and CEO/President of Applied Medical Technology, Inc. (AMT) established in 1985. Applied Medical Technology, Inc. is a global leader and manufacturer of enteral feeding devices and surgical products located in Brecksville, OH.
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Dr. Picha received his Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering, and PhD in Biomedical Materials from Case Western University. He also received his M.D. as well as surgical training along with his Plastic Surgery fellowship at University Hospitals, Cleveland Ohio.
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He started his career as a biomedical engineering consultant for medical device companies. As a board certified Plastic Surgeon he also established Western Reserve Plastic Surgery practicing for over 30 years while also having a career as an entrepreneur. He is also an inventor with over 200 patents, and numerous peer reviewed publications.
Dr. Picha is very committed to his community as well. He’s a board member of Intellirod Spine, a consultant for Allergan Corporation, and dedicated Boy Scout Leader for over 50 years.
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Fr. John Loya
After receiving a B.A. in History from Borromeo Seminary and a Masters of Divinity from Saint Mary Seminary (Cleveland, OH), John Loya was ordained a Catholic priest for the Diocese of Cleveland. When he completed his first five-year assignment as a parochial vicar at Saint Charles Borromeo Parish (Parma, Ohio), he volunteered to join the Cleveland Latin American Mission (CLAM) working in El Salvador, Central America.
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For five and a half years Father Loya served the parish of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe) in Chirilagua , a rural town located in the eastern section of the country. The time he spent in El Salvador was during the bloody civil war when Archbishop Romero, two members of CLAM, Sister Dorothy Kazel O.S.U. and Jeanne Donovan, Maryknoll Nuns Ita Ford and Maura Clark and thousands of others were killed.
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When Fr. John returned from El Salvador, he served at Saint Richard Church (North Olmsted, OH). In preparation for his next assignment, Fr. Loya received a Masters in Spirituality from Santa Clara University (Santa Clara, CA) and was appointed the Spiritual Director of Saint Mary Seminary (Diocese of Cleveland). For sixteen of the twenty years he was Spiritual Director of St. Mary Seminary, he was also the Spiritual Director of Borromeo Seminary. During the more than thirty-one years that Fr. Loya was a Spiritual Director, he also served as a weekend associate at a number of parishes in Northeast Ohio including Holy Martyrs Parish (Medina, OH) and Sacred Heart Chapel (Lorain, OH).
Father John Loya is the author of Gifts From the Poor. The book is a collection of stories of the faith exhibited by the poor of El Salvador in times of poverty, hardship, and war.
With his brother Joseph A. Loya O.S.A., a priest-professor at Villanova University, Fr. John also co-authored Jesus’ Love Stories. This book addresses common questions about the essence and practice of love.
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Drawing upon his years of experience in missions and parishes, Fr. John has been a consultant for the Loya Foundation as it determines how to best allocate resources for the poor and needy in the world.
