The mission of the St. Francis House Young Professionals’ Society (YPS) is to engage Boston’s diverse and accomplished young professionals’ community to support St. Francis House by:
- Raising vital funds to further our charitable work
- Increasing awareness of our work and our needs
- Contributing directly to our cause through volunteerism and service
The YPS is made up of two tiers of support–Partners and Advocates. Learn more about each tier and how to join below!
Interested in joining YPS?
If you have questions or want to learn more, please contact Rebecca Sullivan, Director of Annual Giving, at rsullian@stfrancishouse.org.
YPS Members
Max Asker is a native to Massachusetts with a background in grassroots organizing and real estate. Additionally, he advises political campaigns and organizes a community group in his spare time. He is excited to be part of the Young Professionals Society.
Megan Okoro has been volunteering at St. Francis house since the spring of 2023. She heard about it from a friend while attending Northeastern University and instantly loved it. Megan is currently working in clinical research at MGH, and when she is not working, she’s reading, traveling, or hanging out with friends. She is so excited to be a member of YPS and is looking forward to everything that the team will accomplish.
Michelle Lavers is a Senior Software Quality Assurance Lead Engineer at Accenture Federal Services in Boston. She has over 30 years of experience in the software industry, including technical writing, quality assurance, project management, and leadership. Michelle has served on the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Club of Assabet Valley in Maynard, MA and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Beacon Hill Civic Association in Boston. She is an avid volunteer with multiple organizations including the BHCA.
Michelle received a B.A. in Communications from Wake Forest University in 1992. She has lived in multiple states around the country and has called Beacon Hill home for over 10 years. She enjoys sports, theater, music, golf, tennis, and volunteering.
Alba I. Ferreira is a bilingual (Spanish/English) program coordinator and social work graduate student based in Boston, Massachusetts. She has over three years of experience supporting mission-driven organizations through program coordination, client engagement, and community outreach. Currently, Alba works at St. Francis House, where she manages program operations and provides bilingual support to clients and staff. She is pursuing her Master of Social Work (MSW) at Boston University School of Social Work, focusing on community practice and program development.
Passionate about advancing equity and access, Alba is dedicated to building inclusive programs that empower individuals and strengthen communities.
Teran Peterson is a Software Engineer based in the Greater Boston area who builds large-scale cloud and data systems. He is passionate about using technology as a force for good and is especially interested in how data and digital tools can help address inequality, poverty, and food insecurity. In his free time, he enjoys running, cooking, and playing soccer.
Noah Cha is an Investor at Great Hill Partners, a growth-oriented private equity firm, where he focuses on investments across the consumer, software, and business services sectors. Prior to Great Hill, Noah worked in investment banking at Bank of America advising technology companies on mergers and acquisitions. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.B.A. in Finance and is proud to support St. Francis House through the Young Professionals Society.
Natasha Peck is a senior associate in Dain Torpy’s litigation group. Natasha specializes in representing developers defending zoning appeals, in Boston and throughout the Commonwealth. Her practice also includes other land use and general commercial real estate litigation. Prior to joining Dain Torpy, Natasha was an associate at Melick & Porter, LLP, defending insurers and insureds in a wide range of civil litigation matters.
Before Melick & Porter, Natasha practiced land use and environmental law at KP Law, P.C., and was in general private practice at Bletzer & Bletzer, P.C. During law school, Natasha was a member of the National Environmental Moot Court team, and interned at the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Solicitor, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, and MetroWest Legal Services.
Key Volunteer Opportunities
Holiday Gift Drive, our annual holiday gift program to ensure the residents of our supportive Next Step Housing and our students in the Sullivan Family Moving Ahead Program feel the love they deserve on Christmas every year.
Women’s Day of Renewal, our annual all-day event for the guests of the Carolyn Connors Women’s Center to reclaim their identities and escape the stress of their everyday lives.
