Executive Director
Sister Margaret A. Leonard, LSA
Project Hope’s mission is to partner with families as they move up and out of poverty. Sister Margaret Leonard is the visionary Executive Director who has designed the strategies to make that happen.
Since her appointment in 1985, Project Hope has grown from being an Emergency Shelter serving 8 homeless families, to a multi-service center with an array of educational and economic empowerment programs which serve over 1,000 families in the North Dorchester/ Roxbury neighborhoods annually. In 2006 a four story “green” building was constructed on Dudley Street in Roxbury to house those programs, while the original site, a Victorian home in North Dorchester, continues to house a family shelter and children’s center. Using an intensive case management model with a Housing First strategy, Project Hope is a pioneer in the movement to prevent homelessness from occurring.
In addition to fostering internal growth, Sister Margaret has been a catalyst in forging strategic alliances, partnerships and collaborations at local, city and state levels that create a continuum of care and support for low income families in the movement from crisis to stability. A co-chair of Mayor Menino’s Committee on Homelessness, Sister Margaret has long served on the Boards of the Pine Street Inn, Homes for Families, and the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative.
Deputy Director
Anna Waldron
Anna Waldron joined Project Hope as Deputy Director in December 2007. Anna has an extensive background as a leader of human service organizations including executive level positions at the YMCA and senior program positions in the New England Home for Little Wanderers, Boston Public Schools and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Anna brings to the position significant skills in program development and operations management and has experience managing all aspects of a complex human service organization including program, staff, facilities, budgets, community outreach, and fund raising. In addition to senior management experience, Anna’s background includes managing public/private program collaboratives including corporate volunteer partnerships.
Born and raised in Boston, Anna has an undergraduate degree in political science from Emmanuel College.
Director of Finance
Hazel Briceno
Hazel Briceno joined Project Hope as Director of Finance in July 2007. Prior to coming to Project Hope, she served as Chief Financial Officer at Urban Edge Housing Corporation. She also co-owned with her husband an accounting services business from 1998 to 2004. Hazel started her accounting career shortly after she came to the United States from Trinidad, West Indies in 1979. She brings over twenty years of experience to the position. Hazel has an undergraduate degree from Northeastern University in Accounting and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts in Boston.
Over the years, Hazel has served on many Boards. She is the current Financial Secretary of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc. and serves as a Lay Eucharistic Minister and Chairperson of the Outreach Committee at her church.
Director of Development and External Affairs
Elizabeth Zarrella
Elizabeth Zarrella joined Project Hope as Director of Development and External Affairs in July 2005. She brings to the position significant skills in planning, marketing, relationship cultivation, and community outreach, along with knowledge of homeless issues. With over 20 years experience in the public policy and advocacy arena, she has also devoted significant volunteer time to fundraising, marketing, outreach, and organizing on behalf of community non-profits and political campaigns. Prior to joining Project Hope she served as the Director of Advocacy and Public Policy and a registered lobbyist at The Home for Little Wanderers. Prior to that, at the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union, she filed landmark legislation calling for creation of a statewide standard of economic self-sufficiency.
Elizabeth has an undergraduate degree from Boston University in political science and a Master of Social Work degree in policy and administration from Catholic University.
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