Lillian Lincoln Lambert

Our second day in Boston stop was at the Sister of the Poor which is a residence for seniors, both infirmed and ambulatory. They were so happy to see us. Some of these residents have few, if any, visitor. Our intent was to tell them about the Hope project and have each of the speakers speak. Our plan changed when we realized how anxious they were to talk to us. They were then asked to tell us about their lives. Bob started. It was obvious that he had difficulty speaking but that did not stop him even though the director had to interpret much of what he said. A 90-year old lady told us how she loved to dance and danced a lot in her youth. Another woman told of her many games of tennis and the trophies she had won. Before we left everyone in the room had spoken except one lady who arrived late. After they spoke I was asked to share my experience at Harvard Business School. Bob, the first to speak who considers himself the official tour guide, then took us to visit those residents who were not able to come down from their rooms.

The first stop on day two was at Boston’s Women Fund where we met with Arlene Snyder, Director of Philanthropy. The Fund supports community-based organizations in the Greater Boston Area that are run by women and girls. She shared with us that as a small charity they have been greatly affected by the downtown in the economy.

From there we visited with Strong Women Strong Girls. This organization has an intriguing concept Their mission is to build upon the lessons learned from strong women throughout history to help girls and young women become strong women themselves. They work with schools and emphasis girls in grades 3-5 to help them build positive self-esteem and skills for life-long success. There are chapters on some college campuses where the students volunteer as mentor. Having opened an office in Miami, their goal is to become a national operation. They asked me to share my story after which we discussed my returning at some point to talk to the girls and young women. Something I would love to do.

Our final Boston stop was Hope in Bloom where we visited the home of a stage 4 cancer patient who is in remission. Hope in Bloom plants indoor and outdoor gardens at the homes of women and men who have breast cancer. Healing gardens are said to have therapeutic value that support the emotional and psychological needs of patients and their families. In addition to viewing the beautiful garden we were treated to homemade chocolate chip cookies and cider. What a great way to end my first leg of the tour. Then off to the airport for my return to Virginia.