Sister Paulette LoMonaco is the Executive Director of Good Shepherd Services, a nonprofit organization that helps over 30,000 at-risk youths and families across New York City. Managing a staff of 1,300, Sister Paulette is dedicated to pushing back against city authorities when funding for human services gets cut. She’s spent decades battling the administrations of Mayors Koch, Dinkins, Giuliani, Bloomberg and de Blasio over funding for social programs for vulnerable residents. Sister Paulette grew up in Forest Hills, Queens, and now lives in Manhattan, in an apartment building she shares with two other Good Shepherd nuns and 46 teenage girls. She’s with us today, without her habit (Something she hasn’t worn for over 40 years!), to talk about the amazing work Good Shepherd does for the underserved community.
SISTER PAULETTE LoMONACO“Good Shepherd gets to work with kids after school from 3 to 6.”
“City commissioners and mayors I’ve had to deal with are now my very good friends.”
“I went to Catholic school and had a spiritual bent to me. I was impressed with teachers there.”
“I knew from an early age I wanted to give back.”
“We’re in 74 different countries working with families who need help.”
“Going back to be the oldest child of 7, I realized you have to do everything through persuasion not demand. I feel like I was well prepared for the work I was doing.”
“When I became director of Good Shepherd I always worked with a dedicated team. I knew I wanted to work with people who were smarter than I was.”
“Right now DACA is on my mind for many of the young families we work with.”
“We are trying to provide the greatest amount of support to families. We’re doubling down to make sure we can provide the most up to date information.”
“These young girls have all lived very traumatic lives. I don’t work with them anymore directly but the wonderful thing about living with them is that it makes my administrative work meaningful.”
“It’s a meaningful contrast fundraising on Wall Street then going home to teenage girls who we are doing the fundraising for.”
“I haven’t worn a religious habit for over 50 years. I think the reason many religious woman have made that move is because we don’t want to be treated differently.”
“I am working woman and want to be treated as a professional. I also have a strong religious commitment. It generates a lot of stereotypes we can cut through.”
“I make sure that people know when I am meeting with someone they are aware I am a nun.”
“The tag line is “We see what can be.” It’s true. We see young people and families overcome the most daunting situation. The Gates Foundation replicated our model.”
“We graduate almost 1000 teens a year who wouldn’t have graduated without the support.”
“When I see a young girl who’s been living with us go off to college, it’s amazing. It’s very gratifying.”
“We do a lot of work in the public schools. We take children from 3 to 6 and have all kinds of activities for them to integrate what they learn during the day.”
“A big piece of my work is fundraising. We need to get at least 20% of what we get from the government.”
ELIZABETH DOBRSKAElizabeth Dobrska is the new Executive Director of Technology Underwriting the Greater Good, or TUGG, the nonprofit arm of Greater Boston’s tech community. TUGG is dedicated to catalyzing and spreading social entrepreneurship in New England. By harnessing the power of the region’s technology ecosystem to source, screen and fund social innovation, TUGG helps young people to realize their full potential through entrepreneurship, education and life experiences. TUGG is one of the only funders of experimental startup nonprofits in Boston and has raised over $1 million for local startup nonprofits like Resilient Coders and InnerCity Weightlifting.
“My family immigrated from Poland to Western Mass. When I was little I wanted to be an opera singer. I interned at Lincoln Center. I was their first Skype interview.”
“My boyfriend and now husband (we’ve been together since we were 15), he was an entrepreneur and I was intrigued with the tech space. But I always had a passion for community involvement.”
“My career and upbringing all led me to where I am now.”
“TUGG was born out of the tech community and founded by three people in the tech community over 10 years ago. It started with VCs getting together to put together a good cause meeting.”
“We’re a lean team and incorporated in 2009.”
“Pledge 1% Boston is a part of a greater global initiative focused on getting the tech community to pledge equity, time, or products toward the greater good.”
“Early stage startups don’t have the funds to pledge but the liquidity growth makes it easy.”
“We partner with the Boston Foundation.”
“October 19th is our 7th annual Tech Gives Back day of service. 90+ companies, 1500 volunteers volunteering at 15+ nonprofits. It shows what happens when the tech community comes together for the greater good.”
“As a tech company it’s smart to bring your employees together for workplace giving. People are proud and grateful and like their job more.”
“The most rewarding thing is being able to someone we’re able to fund their dreams. We look for those nonprofits under 5 years old, with the potential to scale and helping under privileged youth.”]
“Resilient Coders was one of our first nonprofits we funded. They work with underprivileged youth teaching them to code.”
“Having a solid community interested in catalyzing social good needs an entity to bring that intersection together.”
“Tech founders get it. The risk taking isn’t really there for nonprofits. People get behind it.”
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