Pennies for Poverty:
Two Cents For Change
Meet the Board:
2011 Board of Directors:
Eleanor Turke, Founding Board Member and President 2011-, moved to Newburyport in 2008. Eleanor was a real estate agent in Andover for over 12 years. She is the owner of The Party Cake. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Northeast Association of Realtors. In addition to serving on the Pennies for Poverty Board of Directors she is also a board member of Delamano, Inc. a non-profit organization in Lawrence which operates a Spanish/English help-line for victims of domestic violence. Eleanor has three grown children and one dog. Contact: eturke@penniesforpoverty.org.
Michael Sandberg, Clerk 2011-, moved to Newburyport in 2009. He is a physician with specialties in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Immigration Medicine. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Tufts Medical School. A member of the First Religious Society of Newburyport, he organized the ongoing monthly "Immigration Matters" Study Group at that church. Contact him by email at msandberg@penniesforpoverty.org.
Michael Gale, Treasurer 2011-, Michael has worked in the healthcare industry for the past 30 years and has been the CFO of Bournewood Health Systems in Brookline MA since 1990. He and his wife, Laura are long time residents of Newburyport and have a son graduating from college in May and a daughter in graduate school. Contact him by email at mgale@penniesforpoverty.org.
Julia Collins-Lindner, 2 Cent Chair 2010-, is a dynamic business leader, author and experienced non-profit organizer with over 20 years experience working for the NFL and is currently a specialist working on HR projects. She has also organized many charity events where she raised over $300,000 for numerous important causes. Julia resides in Amesbury and Pennies for Poverty is excited to have her energy and experience as the Chairperson of our 2 Cents program. Contact her by email at JLindner@penniesforpoverty.org.
Laurie Ingersoll, Co-Founder, Common Cents Garden Liaison, and 2 Can Chair 2008-, moved to Newburyport in 2008 and is the single mother of three grown daughters. She is an Assistant Teacher at River Valley Charter School, and has been a special needs advocate and community activist. She is a jewelry designer and painter with her work shown in galleries and stores in Chicago, Houston, New York and Boston. Contact: For food drive or food needs: lingersoll@penniesforpoverty.org.
Bob Halpert, Board Member 2011-, hails from Rhode Island where he served as a vice president with JCCRI, was on the board of Camp Jori, and the Providence Public Library and served as board member and president of Touro Fraternal Association. Since moving to Newburyport Bob has been volunteering as a docent at the Plum Island Light, and he and his wife assist at the Newburyport Farmer's Market. Contact him by email at bhalpert@penniesforpoverty.org.
John P. Wells, Board Member 2012-, Realtor and owner of Wellsco Realtors.
Advisory Board:
Catherine Yesair Gould, Founder and President 2008-2010, is a native of Byfield. She is the Founder of the Poverty Program, as well as Pennies for Poverty: 2 Cents 4 Change. She attends Belleville Congregational Church, founding member of the Belleville Women's Discussion Group. She has lived in England and France, is an avid reader, and enjoys genealogy research, writing, cooking, traveling, discussions, various crafts, long walks and spending treasured time with her three grown daughters and two grandchildren and friends both old and new. Contact her by email at PovertyProgram@gmail.com.
Robert Gould, Co-Founder and Treasurer 2008-2010, is a native Newburyporter, who is principal of his own architectural firm. He is also President of the Newburyport Howard Benevolent Society, a local charity and President of BioMolecular Products. He has served on several public boards, including the Public Library Board of Directors, City Cultural Council, Local Growth Policy Committee, and the Library Building Committee. In the past, he worked as a newspaper reporter and photographer, and he traveled extensively, including several long-distance hikes in Europe. Contact him by email at robert.gould@comcast.net.
Gail Gandolfi, Founding Board Member and Two Cent Chair 2008-2009 is the owner of Flukes & Finds & Friends, 70 State Street, Newburyport, 978-463-6968, an eclectic hodgepodge of new and antique and gently used décor, on 70 State Street in Newburyport. Gail founded Witch's Night Out, a reverse trick or treat for Pennies, in 2008 and in 2009 Witch's Night Out became a downtown Chamber event, She has been self employed for almost 30 years. Her two adult children live in the area. She is an active member of Belleville Congregational Church in Newburyport where she has worn many hats over the last 26 years. Once a year she goes to Mexico and teaches English to middle school children with a Presbyterian church group from KY. Her dreams include traveling, joining the Peace Corp, working in an orphanage, having grandchildren, and writing. She loves hot sunny days on any beach with her husband, gardening, and a good book.
Dudley Glover, Board Member and Volunteer Project 2008-2010. Dudley was attracted to the project through the vision of its founders, Catherine Gould and Laurie Ingersoll, to attack poverty on the local level through individual commitment within the community framework. Now retired and working as a tax preparer for H&R Block, Dudley owned and operated a graphics, design, and writing business for 25 years. Dudley is an avid long distance walker and has walked the Camino de Santiago numerous times. He walks and does presentations to raise awareness about diabetes. For more information, please visit his website.
Julie Parker Amery, Board Member and 2 Hour Chair 2010-2011, has been the director of religious education at the First Religious Society (Unitarian Universalist) in Newburyport since 2000. Prior to that, she worked as a freelance editor/writer and in public relations. She has a BA from Smith College and an MEd from Salem State University. Julie lives in Amesbury with her spouse, two children, dog, and two cats.
Fran Larkin, Awareness Chair 2009-2011, Fran retired from IBM after a 35 year career in Business Administration. In 2008, Fran and his wife Kathy moved from Danbury, CT to Newburyport. Fran, www.franlarkin.com, is an inspirational speaker, author of "5 Words and Then Some", an Alzheimer's Advocate and retirement coach. In his spare time he likes to read, walk on Plum Island, kayak, cook and spend time with family and friends.
Webmistress:
Tatiana Hamboyan Harrison, Webmistress 2008-, is a freelance web designer who has generously donated her time to create both the Poverty Program website and the Pennies for Poverty: 2 Cents 4 Change site. For more information about her web design, please visit her website at linebylinewebdesign.com. She graduated from St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, in 2004. In her free-time, she enjoys writing, reading, and belly dancing. Though disabled with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, she sees life as an opportunity for learning and growth.
PAST Board Members:
Robin Graves, 2 Cent Stores and Businesses, brings to the Pennies for Poverty organization her vast experience as a battered women's crisis counselor, a public speaker, a mentor to inner city kids in Boston, and active in after school city programs for children at risk. She worked for several years at the Epiphany School in Dorchester. She has worked in Bosnia and Croatia with refugee children. Ms. Graves lives by the motto "Be the change you want to see in the world" and "to those to whom much has been given, much is expected".
Robin L. Parsons, Board Member and Treasurer 2010, is a Vice President in the Global Business Reporting division of a major worldwide financial institution. Her experience in the community has included past member and treasurer of the General Federation of Women's Clubs- Junior Women's Club of Taunton and Raynham and volunteer with the American Cancer Society's "Look Good, Feel Better" program. She recently moved to Newburyport.
Shari Wilkinson, Board Member 2009, has over 20 years experience in product development, design and marketing. Shari is the Co-Founder of Portals for Change, Founder and coordinator of the Newburyport Farmer's Market and CSA Market Fair.
Heather Pickard, Board Member 2010, is a single mother who graduated from Salem State College and Boston University with a Master of Social Work. Most recently she has been a Tenancy Preservation Program Clinician with the Eliot Community Human Services. She has worked with the Essex County Court to prevent homelessness with disabled individuals, as well as with the housing programs NSCAP, HAP, HOPWA. A committed advocate for social justice, Heather has served on the Board of Directors of Neighbor to Neighbor and Salem Harbor Development Corp in Salem, MA.