Rosie's Place

In Winter 2016, I had the privilege of volunteering as a teacher at the Writing Cafe in the Education Center at Rosie's Place, a homeless shelter and resources center in Boston. I taught English (ESOL) the following Spring, where the students also served as a book committee to publish a collection of stories written in the previous semester.

In collaboration with the Communications department at Rosie's Place, I partnered with my colleagues at Macmillan Learning for graphic design (particularly Sara Hillman, who designed the cover) as well as Michele Brennan from Bridgeport National Bindery for printing and binding. I had worked with Michele Brennan on the 56th and 57th Annual New England Books Shows and knew she was the right partner for this endeavor--she has the drive, the heart, and the connections critical for this type of project.

I worked with the students to edit their submissions, prepare the manuscript, make font selections, and teach a mini-course on how books are published. The book was filled of stories of the students' home countries and the experience of moving to America, as the majority of students in the English courses had moved to America looking for new opportunities.

There is an incredible power behind the act of writing, especially for individuals who may have not felt they had a voice in the past. This power multiplies when seeing their words printed on a page and have a book share with friends, families, or even potential employers.

The opportunity to be part of this process was nothing short of incredible.

Mentioned in: "Spotlighting women’s stories of hope" in Spare Change News

Four writers were selected to read their stories at a ceremony and celebration of the book's publication.

#professionaldevelopment #professionalporfolio #writingpublications #mentorship #community