Elizabeth Farley Marketing Specialist, The MENTOR Network
Grant Recipient, Pine Street Inn

Elizabeth Farley volunteers at Pine Street Inn, a shelter that serves homeless individuals in the Boston area with meals, emergency services, transitional housing and job training. She helps out in the Inn’s emergency shelter as part of a group of young professionals called the Innbassadors who help with fundraising and organizing events. She also helps whenever needed with cooking and serving meals. This past holiday season, Elizabeth and her fellow volunteers raised nearly $20,000 to give every individual served by the shelter a sweatshirt, hat, gloves and scarf to help them stay warm.

Elizabeth likes volunteering at the Inn in part because of the empowering nature of its mission.

“It’s not just a shelter. Its mission is to help people in need journey out of homelessness,” she said. “Homelessness can be a vicious cycle, especially in a place like Boston. The Pine Street Inn helps people get on the right path.”

For the past two years, the chance to work directly with the individuals who count on the Pine Street Inn’s services has brought Elizabeth back each week to lend a hand.

“I look forward to seeing the individuals at the shelter and being able to provide events like bingo nights or serve a meal. It’s a tangible impact,” she said.

In addition to her work with the Pine Street Inn, Elizabeth is also active with her local Boys and Girls Club and Cradles to Crayons, which provides children in need with basic items such as clothing, school supplies, toys and books. As a marketing specialist in The Network’s Public Strategy Group, she is also an enthusiastic supporter of the annual employee Volunteer Day, helping to organize the event and make it a great experience for volunteers and the organizations served across the country.

“Elizabeth is a genuinely good, sincere and caring person. You know that after the first conversation with her,” said Liz Flynn, Internal Communications Specialist, who nominated Elizabeth. “She helps people without judging them or holding them to unrealistic expectations. She empathizes and does everything she can to help them.”

For more information about the Pine Street Inn, visit www.pinestreetinn.org.