Six-years ago my family and I moved to Memphis from San Diego. I was working and travelling as the Director of Operations and Foundation Relations for the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, which at the time was based out of Washington, D.C. After more than 20-years in nonprofit management, it was fulfilling, but I missed the local connection in our new community.
It was during my time at Thistle & Bee that I met Sandra Ferrell. She and I would reconnect in early 2020 when she told me about this amazing property she had found, and what she had hoped to do with it. The idea of having a women’s drop-in center off Summer Avenue was exciting. This was something much-needed and different.
After the drop-in center had been open for about six-months, Sandra and I got together again. This time she began to express her desire to retire. We started working closely together on a succession plan, preparing Lisieux Community for a leadership transition. Like many, her love of the women had gotten me to volunteer at a capacity that I had not done before. I was fully invested.
Now, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Interim Executive Director of Lisieux. I am in awe of the Lisieux staff and their dedication to the beautiful women that we serve. I find strength in the Lisieux volunteers, who choose to spend their week serving the women directly on Monday, or preparing the drop-in center and the staff to serve the women the remainder of the week.
You are part of the women’s journeys as much as I am. You volunteer, bring donations to the drop-in center, make monetary donations, follow our stories on social media, and offer words of encouragement and hope. We are all part of this amazing circle of support – a community imagined by Sandra and carried through every day by people meant to come together to carry out her vision. All the women are served because of you. They are thankful. We are thankful. I am thankful.
Sandra, we all thank you.
A woman of Lisieux,
Jordan Boss, Interim Executive Director
