On September 17, Lois Siegelman and 17 other outstanding volunteer’s contributions in their neighborhoods were celebrated at the annual ABCD Community Volunteer Celebration. The event was held at the Revere Hotel and was attended by the friends, family and colleagues of the awardees.
At the event, Terry Kennedy, Executive Director of the John F. Kennedy Family Service Center introduced Lois and outlined her many volunteer accomplishment. Kennedy said, “Occasionally a person comes along who has extraordinary civic engagement skills including the vision and drive to mobilize local citizens into work groups that make their community a better place to live, work and play. Lois Siegelman is one of these people.”
The range of civic projects in which Lois plays a key role is considerable. Lois has served as the point person for information gathering and dissemination with respect to the on-going lawsuits regarding the Charlestown Navy Yard marinas. Lois and the Friends were intimately involved in all stages of the planning, construction, and eventual move of the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital to the Charlestown Navy Yard. Lois and the Friends actively participated in creation of a shuttle service for town residents when the long time supermarket announced that it was closing right before Thanksgiving 2012 and its replacement would not be open till August 2013. Lois also routinely organizes critical informational forums where community members can get insight into proposed new housing developments, health and safety issues in the neighborhoods and along the harbor walk, and pending community and civic improvement projects.
Beyond her extensive work with the Friends of the Charlestown Navy Yard Lois also serves on the Rutherford Avenue Planning Advisory Committee, the Downtown Waterfront Municipal Harbor Planning Advisory Committee, the Charlestown YMCA Board of Advisors, and she assisted Courageous Sailing and the Harvard-Kent School in the development of a swim and boating program for students.
It is clear to all that know Lois that she is passionate about Charlestown, dedicated to improving the quality for all residents, an advocate of positive civic engagement, and a person that is very well respected in our community. Charlestown is a better placed to live.