Cha-Cha-Changes!

May 2, 2014

Everyone familiar with BSM knows it to be a community that thrives on change, and takes enormous delight when both guests and staff experience positive changes in their lives. In addition to the kinds of success our guests are experiencing (like the Smiths in this month’s edition of the BroadCast), three members of our staff, Melissa DeFreece, Julia Wallis, and Eco Boyd (our newest team member), have all entered into new positive phases of their professional development.

We were happy to learn that Melissa DeFreece, our Volunteer Manager, has taken on new responsibilities as the Director of Annual Giving and Special Events at Liberty Lutheran. Our happiness was tinged with the sadness of losing her excellent skills developing enduring partnerships with volunteers – individuals and groups – who have become a vital part of our work with guests at Breaking Bread meals, and other volunteer efforts. We wish her all good fortune in her new endeavors.

At the same time we are heartened by the fact that Julia Wallis, our Personal Care Coordinator, accepted an offer to step in as our new Volunteer Coordinator. Julia worked part time with us, and was also the Volunteer Coordinator at the Drueding Center in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. Julia brings exceptional organizational skills to this position, and has a proven track record in her work at BSM over the past year. We are delighted to have Julia on board full-time to build on Melissa’s fine work.

Lastly, but by no means least, we’d like to introduce Eco Boyd to the BSM community as our new Personal Care Coordinator. Eco has been volunteering with us for the past few months, and has demonstrated her capacity to take on some very daunting challenges organizing our personal care pantry, and managing the clothing donations so generously provided to BSM for our guests. Eco is now the point person to contact to schedule donation drop-off’s. She can be reached at eco@broadstreetministry.org

Welcome to BSM, Eco!