2022 Family Promise Metrowest Annual Report

OUR RECOGNITIONS
Cindy Lombardo Volunteer Award
Our Cindy Lombardo Volunteer Award, named for a passionate
FPM volunteer and member of Temple Shir Tikva, is given annually
to a volunteer, nominated by our families, who upholds Cindy’s
incredible legacy of warmth and welcome. The 2022 award winner
was Farrah Coleman. As a junior at Newton Country Day School,
Farrah approached us last spring, seeking an opportunity to serve
our families as part of her Hesed service project, and it was a
beautiful match from day one.
“I describe my experience at Family Promise as creating a second
family,” Farrah told us. “Everyone was very warm with each other and there was such a strong
community. I could go on and on about how amazing my experience was with the families and
the environment. Volunteering was one of the best experiences I’ve had.” Her favorite part of
volunteering shifts last summer was sitting down to have dinner with the families, getting to
know each other, and playing with the children after the meal. It’s safe to say the children adored
her, asking their parents and staff over and over when she’d be back next.
Farrah’s brief but intense time with our organization made a tremendous impact on both the
children we were serving in the early weeks of relaunching our shelter program and on our
shelter staff, who were working hard to ensure that every aspect of the program was running
smoothly. Farrah displayed genuine enthusiasm, eager to engage with the people we serve and
make a meaningful impact in their lives. And that's just what she did, leaving a lasting impression
on all those she worked with. We were all so grateful to Farrah for her commitment to our
children last year and wish her the very best as she enters her senior year.
Family Promise Metrowest Legacy Award
Our FPM Legacy Award recognizes a person in our community
whose commitment and contribution to our mission will have a
lasting impact on our organization and the families we serve. Our
2022 recipient was Carol Virshbo. Carol has been a multi-faceted
and generous supporter of our organization since 2006, when she
joined a committed group of volunteers from Christ Lutheran
Church and Wellesley Village Church working tirelessly to
establish and launch our organization. She was an integral
element of our early years, filling every role imaginable as a
volunteer and supporting our work with generous financial
donations.
As our needs expanded, Carol became an event volunteer, a front office mainstay, and a critical
part of our professional support for parents seeking new jobs. And then, in 2016 she joined our
board, serving three years as a director and another three as Chair, before stepping down in 2022.
Carol was also an essential guiding force as we navigated the complexities of COVID, offering
steady guidance as we transformed our shelter model and adapted programs. Carol’s remarkable
18 years of service and sustaining generosity made her selection as the 2022 recipient of our
Legacy Award an easy choice for all of us. Her deep impact on our organization and the hundreds
of families we have served during her tenure will ripple outward for years to come.
10 | Family Promise Metrowest