With A Grateful Heart
By Linda Wood O’Connor
It was 25 years ago when I first fell in love with the mission and the people connected to Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. A very charismatic and deeply dedicated Street Team nurse, Cheryl Kane, was asked to launch the Development effort for the program, and they could not have made a better choice! Having been a volunteer in the homeless community for many years, I felt immediately drawn to Cheryl’s commitment and to BHCHP’s unique and lifesaving mission.
When the opportunity to have a “home of our own” came about in 2005—thanks to then-Mayor Thomas Menino donating the empty 77,000-square-foot Mallory Institute of Pathology building at 780 Albany Street—I was inspired to come work for BHCHP’s small but talented Development Team on the critical campaign to renovate the building that is now Jean Yawkey Place. This is where many of YOU came into the picture! Mayor Menino aptly referred to BHCHP then as “Boston’s best-kept secret”— which made it more of a challenge to raise the funds needed for the project. But thanks to the awe-inspiring generosity of individuals, foundations, and corporations, we completed the $42 million project debt-free despite the economic downturn of 2008.
As I tiptoe into retirement in the next couple of months, I can’t leave without thanking each of you for the vital role you play in our work. Over the years, I have seen firsthand the extraordinary resiliency of our patients, selfless dedication of our staff (from housekeeping and food services to doctors and clinicians of all types), and the steadfast support of our donors. You play a key role in ensuring that inspiration can be found in every corner of our program. I strongly encourage you to come see our work firsthand.
While I continue to be inspired by nurses like Cheryl Kane and doctors like Jim O’Connell, I realized a long time ago that I can’t be them, but I can help them. Like all of you, I donate to support BHCHP’s mission. In that way, we are all making this inspiring and critical work possible.
And like many of you, my husband Jack and I feel part of the BHCHP family. For this reason, we have named BHCHP in our will, knowing that there will always be a need and that BHCHP can be trusted to direct these funds to where they are needed most. I am deeply grateful for the priceless gift of working closely with the visionary senior leadership of BHCHP over the years—Dr. Jim O’Connell, Bob Taube, Barry Bock, and now our longtime inspiration and new CEO, Dr. Denise De Las Nueces. We are truly blessed!
I leave my role with a heart full of gratitude to YOU, our donors, who make our work possible and truly help save lives. Thank you for being “family” to our staff and patients. I have seen our program’s unlimited potential if given the resources we need. I have always believed that Development is more than fundraising; it is relationship building— we truly value our relationship with you.
I am thrilled to share that my treasured friend and colleague of close to 20 years—Colleen Eagan—is now the Chief Development Officer for BHCHP! Many of you have had the pleasure of coming to know Colleen over the years and share my deep admiration of her. I have never met a more talented, hardworking, mission-driven, and highly successful development professional in my 40 years in this field. It gives me great hope to pass the torch to Colleen, knowing she will confidently lead and strengthen our Development efforts in partnership with all of you to meet whatever financial challenges come our way. BHCHP is in the best of hands!
