On May 8, MHSA and more than 200 supporters gathered at the Omni Parker House Hotel in Boston to celebrate MHSA’s tenth annual fundraising event, Home for Good: Solutions Start Here.
After a welcome from MHSA Board Chair Pam Feingold, MHSA President & Executive Director Joe Finn presented the first award of the evening to Tom Lorello of Heading Home. Tom Lorello received the MHSA Cornerstone Award in recognition of his commitment to providing assistance and care to homeless people in Greater Boston. As he accepted his award, Tom Lorello described his years of work on the streets and in shelters, explaining: “How we end homelessness has evolved into a more housing-focused approach, but what has not changed for those of us who are still in the field is a deep understanding of the complexity of homelessness and a shared—and unwavering—commitment to the people we serve. They are mothers and fathers and sons and daughters, and our neighbors, and they matter.”
The second award of the night was presented to Susanne Beaton of The Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation. “Sue was the voice crying out in the wilderness,” Joe Finn explained, describing Susanne Beaton’s lifelong efforts to end homelessness in Massachusetts. “She had the audacity to point out that year after year after year of sheltering was doing nothing to end homelessness.” State Representative Matthew A. Beaton of Shrewsbury presented his aunt with a citation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and Sue then accepted MHSA’s William Lloyd Garrison Lifetime Achievement Award.
The final award of the evening—the Bob Ray Partnership Award—was presented to Michael Durkin and United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. This award recognizes individuals and organizations that, like the late Bob Ray, have made outstanding contributions toward ending homelessness in Massachusetts. As he accepted the award, Michael Durkin spoke about the importance of partnership, saying, “What I’ve come to see about MHSA is it’s not one organization—it’s all of us coming together.”
MHSA wishes to express our gratitude to the Event Honorary Committee, the MHSA Advisory Council, and all of our event sponsors and attendees. We also extend our special thanks to State Representative Kevin G. Honan, Chair of the Joint Committee on Housing; State Representative Matthew A. Beaton; and all of the public officials who joined us for the evening. Special thanks as well to Jasmine Yotsugi and her jazz trio for providing the evening’s entertainment.
Funds raised at Home for Good: Solutions Start Here will support MHSA’s continued efforts to revolutionize the way homelessness is addressed in Massachusetts and bring our most vulnerable neighbors home for good.
Check out the MHSA Facebook page for more photos of the event!
Special thanks to this year’s Raise the Roof sponsor, Eastern Bank!