Growing up in the Washington Park neighborhood in Providence as the second youngest child in a family of 10 kids, I never thought I would be pursuing a political seat. I was raised in a working class family with 7 brothers and 2 sisters. My Dad was a mechanic and Don’s Garage has been in business for 65 years! Two of my brothers run the shop now, but Dad still goes and kicks a few tires every once in a while and he is 89 years old! My Mother, who passed away in 1999, stayed home and raised 10 kids and took care of the house. While we always had what we needed, taking care of 10 kids is always a struggle, one I did not appreciate as a kid.

I studied Social Work at RI College and started my career working in the South Providence community with low-income families. My first job out of college was with The Salvation Army working with young parents that were working towards their high school equivalency. My job was to help them persist towards their goals and help them get the services and benefits they needed. During this time, I learned so much about the systems of support in RI and how critical it is to have support as you navigate the often confusing process. I knew from that first job that I would always work in the service of others.

I spent the next 10 years of my working career at The Gensis Center in the West End of Providence. During my time, I met people from all over the world that had come to Rhode Island for a better life for themselves and their families. I saw the persistence it took to learn a new language, acclimate to a new culture and work hard towards a better life everyday and I was so inspired by their dedication. It was at The Genesis Center where I learned so much about the importance of having access to quality adult education and workforce training and I have spent the next 20 years advocating for equitable access and opportunity for the people in our community that need it most.

The next 16 years of my career led me to learn so much about housing and homelessness. I spent 5 years as the Education & Training Coordinator at the Providence Housing Authority where my team provided adult and youth education programs in the family developments around Providence. The challenges of raising a family in public housing can be great but the families showed such resiliency and determination. I learned that we all want the same thing, to keep our families safe and to provide for a life with as little suffering as possible.

When I decided to take the job at Crossroads Rhode Island, I didn’t know anything about homelessness in RI. I was confident that I knew how to run quality programs and help people get what they need, but I had so much to learn about this issue. Over these past 10 years, I have become a strong advocate for ending homelessness and having housing for ALL. The COVID pandemic made an already critical issue so much worse. Housing costs are far more than what the average family can afford, and we must make policy changes that make sense for all Rhode Islander’s.

Throughout my career, I have dedicated myself to serving our community, gaining invaluable insights into the challenges and struggles families face. My aim is to bring these voices to the State House and advocate for policies that promote equity and opportunity for everyone. Together we are much stronger, and I am genuinely excited about the work ahead.