Lisa Melara Interview
““We were that trusted source in the community.””
Once a volunteer with the Social Centers raising young children in the community, Lisa Melara is now a key member of the East Boston Family Engagement Network staff who works tirelessly to connect new Eastie families to the resources they need to thrive. Alongside our group of Parent Partners, a tight-knit group of volunteers who help keep the Family Engagement Network running, Lisa helps facilitate our Welcome Baby visits, Ages & Stages Screenings, Play Groups, and more by reaching out to over 400 families in East Boston who need these services most.
Even though all programming through the East Boston Family Engagement Network is currently remote, Lisa is still confident in the relationships they have formed between families and staff. “It’s about that relationship-building,” she says, and the trusting bond between East Boston families and our network of Parent Partners is critical, especially right now. Lisa is truly a valued contact for so many of our community’s families, forming important one-to-one connections that instill confidence in families otherwise in difficult situations.
Lisa continues to do great things for the East Boston community, delivering supplies right to the front door to provide with monthly supplies and also connecting families to trusted sources of more supplies, all for the sake of making life easier for families who lack connections. The network of Parent Partners has been staying in constant communication with the families, and Lisa enjoys the relationships she has built with families who have been with her throughout the entire pandemic, as they know they can rely on her when they need help.
Lisa is clearly a family-oriented person, and she says that what makes her most joyful is being able to see her own children happy. She reflects on her youngest’s long-awaited return to in-person school: “you could see his eyes twinkle and how happy he is to be back in school.” Undoubtedly her caring spirit for her own children informs her desire to see other East Boston families thrive.
As a parent who can relate, Lisa is an excellent resource for families in the community and a proud representative of the East Boston Family Engagement Network, and she, too, expresses her gratitude for what the Social Centers has been able to provide for families during these times. Her spirit of goodwill and giving is clear, and hopefully can inspire further involvement for families hoping to be engaged in their communities.