“Ever since I was a little girl, I always wanted to help people.”
That’s how Margo Blackwell-Moquin, sums up her outlook on life.
As a semi-retired resident of CSNDC’s Talbot Bernard Senior property at 193 Talbot Avenue in Dorchester, Margo is helping out by bringing the residents’ perspective to the CSNDC Board of Directors.
“As a resident, I hear some of the things people are saying,” she says. “I help them to feel supported and encourage them to speak out. And I help get them engaged in activities. I’m a senior too, so it makes it easier for me to reach out to that population.”
Margo was born and raised in Boston. After living elsewhere with her family for a while, she moved back to Boston over a decade ago and lived at CSNDC’s property at 526 Park Street for ten years. When a spot opened up at Talbot Bernard Senior, she jumped at the chance.
Having received her master’s degree in education from Cambridge College (now Cambridge University), Margo has spent her whole career working in the human services field, with positions at many local agencies, including Kit Clark Senior Services, Pine Street Inn, Project HOPE, Bay Cove Human Services, and Gavin Treatment Center. Starting out as a relief staff person, she slowly worked her way up to being a case manager, then an assistant program director, then a program director, and then a clinical director. Along the way, she facilitated groups, conducted counseling, and supervised staff. She is currently working 10 hours per week for Bay Cove.
“The fact that I moved up the ladder in this way was a big help because I got to see each position,” she says. “So, when I supervised people, I could relate to their situation and I could say, ‘I know this is a struggle, but we can do this.’”
She has a similar compassionate approach in her role as a resident leader at Talbot Bernard.
“I’ve always liked to listen and hear people’s stories, see where they come from, where they want to go,” she says. “I’ve basically spent my whole career working on homelessness and addiction, and those are two areas where residents often have difficulties. Listening and supporting people is so important.”
Margo is approaching her role on the CSNDC Board in a similar fashion.
“I’ve been listening and learning a lot as a board member,” she says. “I’ve worked in shelters and I worked in residential programs, but I’ve never worked in housing. It’s so important because we have so many homeless people. Now I’m getting the chance to understand how the process works.”
We are thrilled to have Margo’s important voice on our Board.
