Meet Beth-El Board Member Rachel Merva
How did you get involved with Beth El Center?
As the Mary Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church Missions Chairperson, I've been involved with projects that provide a lot of support for Beth-El. For years we've been doing a monthly community supper at their Community Kitchen on the fourth Thursday of the month. We sponsor Beth-El's Trick or Trot 5K and Beth-El is the benefactor for the Super Bowl of Caring that we do every January. It's been a natural fit for me to get more involved in the strategy of the Center so that's when I joined the Board.
As the Beth-El Board Development Chair, what would you like to achieve this year?
We've elevated the work of the Development Committee under Dick Popilowski's staff leadership. We've added a lot of new programs including our first sponsorship appreciation event. We were able to spend time with the people and businesses who support our programs, and it was wonderful to get to know them all. Building relationships is so key and for me it was a very meaningful night.
The Development Committee is now going to be focused on the Capital Campaign for Beth-El's new building and bridging the gap between grant funds and what we need to raise for the building expense. We need to raise $1.5 million and the Development Committee will be top of mind for that.
What accomplishments are you most proud of since joining the Board?
I was proud to lead the Summer of Love Gala in 2023 as the event chairperson. It raised $50K for Beth-El Center and was such a fun event.
What do you want the Community to know about the Beth-El Center?
It's not just a shelter. The shelter is one out of seven programs offered at the Center. Diversion services are huge as is the Community Kitchen and the Permanent Supportive Housing services. The scope of services is so big. The wrap around services that Beth-El provides to the community are so much more than a homeless shelter. People don't appreciate that when you're facing eviction or when you are at risk of homelessness, you have resources to help you.
How can someone help the Beth-El Center?
Donations and funding are so needed. We're spread so thin and have a very tight budget, so money is a big way to help. Volunteering in the kitchen and office are great ways to contribute too. Come show up at one of our events and be part of our community to learn more ways that you can get involved. Share information with your neighbors and elected officials so people know more about what the Center is doing.
What do you see as the future for Beth-El?
The future of Beth-El is to make homelessness less frequent and non-recurring. That is possible with the programs at the Center. The permanent supportive housing services needs to be right-sized to help more people.
The partnerships that Beth-El Center fosters like the Landlord Network and the Food Council and how these collaborations can be so transformative. With more time, resources and partnerships like this we can see lasting change.
Under Jenn Paradis' leadership, she's a visionary and she's culturally shifting the perspective on homelessness. She has a way of bringing everyone along on the journey and I'm so inspired by her leadership. She's very passionate and strategic and it's making a big difference.The future of Beth El is getting more towns to replicate our model so we can solve homelessness in more places.
Do you have a fun anecdote that you would like to share about Beth-El?
We're planning a fundraiser for Beth-El on September 15 featuring the Australian Bee Gees. At our upcoming exhibit at the Milford Oyster Festival, we have two Board members who are going all out and dressing up as Bee Gees to raise our visibility! We work hard and have fun!
