Donor Spotlight:
Lael Greenstein

What made you decide to give your first gift to Metro Housing?

 

I strongly believe that housing security is the foundation of economic stability, and that every individual and family are entitled to a place to live.  As a primary care physician, I have seen repeatedly how housing insecurity directly impacts people’s ability to take care of themselves both physically and mentally. When I found Metro Housing and saw the breadth of services and programs it offered to people within Boston, it was a clear choice to start giving to this organization.

 

Why do you like to give monthly?

 

Having worked in the non-profit sector in the past, I know how important monthly donations can be for financial security. I like feeling that my contribution is helping the stability of the organization because it is a contribution they can count on. Additionally, I like the ease of having a donation set up automatically from my bank account every month that I don’t have to think about.

 

Why do you enjoy giving to Metro Housing?

 

While I am not originally from Boston, I think I am now well on my way to being a Bostonian, and with that identity I strive to give back to my community. Giving to Metro Housing allows me to work towards housing equity within both my direct neighborhood and the larger Boston area, which is also my home.

 

What do you hope to accomplish through your philanthropy?

 

I like to think that even my small monthly donation helps support the programming for organizations like Metro Housing|Boston that enable people to move towards greater financial stability, which ideally will help them lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. There is only so much that I as an individual can do, but I can support the people who are making the greater changes, and that is what I aim to do with my monthly contributions.

 

 

What do you wish people knew about housing insecurity?

 

What I wish people knew about housing insecurity is two-fold. First, I wish that more people knew what it was – that it is not just homelessness, which I feel is a common misconception, but a spectrum of housing challenges that afflict more people than they realize, including people they probably know in person. Second, I wish that people knew the impact that housing insecurity has on every aspect of individuals’ and families’ lives. I think this knowledge would change the conversations about how our cities and towns have come to look the way they do and may even start to question why certain populations remain with greater housing instability than others. We have a long, long way to go towards housing equity, and people need to know why the issue matters.