Our Volunteers

A native of Portland, Oregon, Adam’s career brought him to the Boston area in 2012 while working with Conservation Service Group, an energy efficiency-focused nonprofit organization (now CLEAResult Consulting). Adam has over 10 years of experience in software development and system implementation in the energy efficiency industry. He is Managing Partner of SailOne Solutions, a Brookline-based consulting firm helping local businesses improve their technology. A member of Saint Cecilia Parish in Boston, Adam attended a Mass celebrated by Fr. Gyves and heard his message of living faith through action, inspiring him to find a way to get involved. When the opportunity arose to use his skills to help amplify the message of A Faith That Does Justice, Adam was excited to jump in. Adam and his wife Caitlin relocated to Burlington, VT in 2021 with their two children, Gabriel and Cecilia, and enjoy spending time outdoors hiking, biking, skiing, and enjoying all that New England has to offer.

Hello everyone! My name is Adina and I come from Romania. I moved to the US this summer. I have been working as a qualified English teacher since 2008, teaching ESOL to students at the  primary, secondary and high school levels. I also worked as a ESOL Teacher at “Castle Language” summer camp, in Castel San Pietro, Italy, where I organized the schedule and indoor/outdoor activities for the summer.

I have completed the Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program (Fulbright TEA), at Kent State University, USA, in 2022. I took part in extensive professional development training, which included seminars on general pedagogy (e.g. student-centered learning, curriculum development, lesson planning, assessment, classroom management, teacher leadership), training in teaching my ESL, and 20 hours of instruction in the effective use of technology in the classroom. In addition, I completed 40 hours of co-teaching, presentations, and observation with a U.S. partner teacher at a secondary school near the host university.

I also started an NGO in Romania in 2018, to facilitate educational partnerships within and outside my country.

I heard about AFTDJ by searching volunteering opportunities in educational area.

Bill is President of A Faith That Does Justice and has been a director since 2017. He is the retired Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer of Sonesta International Hotels Corporation. Much of Bill’s career was in the hospitality industry where he held Chief Executive Officer positions with Sonesta Hotels and Omni Hotels and Chief Financial Officer positions with Omni Hotels and Ian Schrager Hotels. Early in his career, Bill was a partner with Arthur Andersen & Co., an international firm of independent public accountants. Bill began volunteering with A Faith That Does Justice in 2017 after hearing Father Peter Gyves, SJ, MD, Founder of A Faith That Does Justice, offer Mass at Saint Cecilia Parish in Boston. Since then, he has served as Director and Treasurer, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the organization. He was elected President of A Faith That Does Justice after the unexpected death of Father Peter. He serves in this role to carry A Faith That Does Justice forward in Father Peter’s memory while the Board of Directors begins the search for a full-time replacement. Bill’s volunteer experience also includes serving as Chairman and Member of the Nahant MA Advisory and Finance Committee, and Board President and Director of Tower School in Marblehead MA. Bill is a former member of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps where he volunteered with New England Culinary Arts Training, a nonprofit that empowers adults facing barriers to employment through training in culinary skills, social-emotional development, and career-readiness for success and long-term financial stability. In his free time, Bill enjoys his passions in participating in the lives of his grandchildren, traveling, and sailing with long-time friends.

I have a BA in Sociology and Latin American Studies and a Masters in Social Work. I have worked at a variety of non-profit organizations before transitioning to Human Resources. I worked in Human Resources at Deloitte for 10 years before I decided to stay home with my children full-time. I enjoy playing tennis, running, skiing, reading and watching my kids various sporting events!

I’ve been a volunteer with A Faith That Does Justice since early 2018, starting as a telephone caller and administrative volunteer. Later, I became Director of Finance & Accounting. I am married, live in Boston, and have three adult children.  I enjoy playing tennis, hiking and kayaking.

Christine Samuel joins as Director of the ESOL program. Samuel is originally from Egypt but now resides in Massachusetts. She has served alongside refugees and forced migrants in the Middle East, taught Peace and Conflict Studies at a local college, and currently continues to serve with refugee and displaced populations in Cairo, Egypt as board member of a refugee-led agency. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, a Master of Artis Degree in International Affairs, a Juris Doctor Degree, and is completing her studies for a post-graduate diploma in Climate Change and Development. She will work to expand the number of students that AFTDJ serves each year and continue to build the quality and effectiveness of its ESOL program.

After following Fr. Peter and AFTDJ since 2019, I’m excited to have joined the Marketing and Communications team here. I participated in an international immersion program at Boston College inspired by Pedro Arrupe’s call to live “a Faith that Does Justice,” and I see this organization as a place to continue living out that mission here in the Boston area and beyond. Outside of my volunteering, I’m a technology sales representative and enjoy spending time with family and friends, boating and visiting the beaches of Cape Cod, traveling, and attending live sporting events.

I live in the South End with my husband and a rescue dog.  We have two grown children and became first-time grandparents ~2.5 months ago. I enjoy family time, reading, running, gardening, travel, and exploring Boston and the Cape. Lastly, I am a relentless Red Sox fan! I retired last year after 40 years working as a microbiology basic researcher (funded by government and corporate funds) at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Med School. I taught medical microbiology at the Harvard Extension school for six of those years.

I know AFTDJ through Father Peter and St. Cecilia’s parish, and I admire his intellect and commitment to the community. I look forward to learning and working with you all to help address the tremendous need for resources for new immigrants and the vulnerable in our community. My previous experience in this arena is not vast, but I was involved with St. Vincent de Paul for ~10 years, as well as St. C’s Hunger & Homelessness Ministry.  I am currently finishing one year with the Ignatian Volunteer Corp.

I have been involved with A Faith That Does Justice in community outreach since 2018 after retiring to Boston after 40 years of Food Sales in the NY metropolitan area. My wife and I met in Boston almost 50 years ago at our first jobs and vowed that we would return to our favorite city. Although still a Yankee fan, I enjoy living in the Back Bay and walking everywhere — especially to St. Cecilia Church and it’s many opportunities to reach out to those less fortunate, That’s where I met Father Peter and found AFTDJ to be a perfect opportunity to do just that.

My name is Mansi Pagare, and I’m happy to be part of the AFTDJ volunteer community. I’m originally from India and moved to the United States to study for my Master’s in Health Informatics at Indiana University. During my studies, I found a strong interest in using technology to improve healthcare. I also gained experience in data analysis, project management, and healthcare standards.

Volunteering has always been important to me, and I’m excited to continue with AFTDJ. I look forward to contributing to the community in a way that matches my values and goals. I’m especially interested in helping people live healthier lives and make informed decisions about their health.

I am a native of Ireland, who returned to Boston in 2013 after eight years living and working overseas. I have been involved with AFTDJ since its early days and have helped with student recruitment through my connections in the immigrant community. I conduct registration interviews in Spanish, Haitian Kreyole and French. Providing classes online is generating great interest. I like to garden in my community garden plot, sing and travel internationally.

As a volunteer for AFTDJ since 2017, I coordinate the marketing and communications, both internally to our rapidly growing base of volunteers and to those who lives are being touched by the efforts of AFTDJ.  I’ve been married for 49 years, have three sons and three grandchildren.  I enjoy traveling around the US and abroad, sailing, kayaking and hiking.

My name is Robin Krawczyk. I split my time between Boston and Naples FL, but Boston will always be my home. I am a semi-retired geriatric social worker working part time at the Naples Senior Center teaching the social work interns and facilitating a program for people living with dementia. I miss my full time career and am always looking for new ways to stay engaged and productive in my “off work” months. Volunteer work has always been a central part of my life and I am excited to be volunteering for AFTDJ-an organization that I have followed for many years as a St. Cecilia’s parishioner. 

I have 3 grown children and 2 daughters getting married this year! I am passionate about pickleball, biking and running in my free time, but I also realize there is more to life than play. I worked for Jewish Family & Children’s Services in Waltham MA for 10 years and learned to embrace the Jewish value of Tikkun Olum. I hope that by assisting in ESOL teaching I can improve/repair the world in some small way. 

Hello all! My name is Soleil Samaan. I’m ethnically Egyptian but was born and raised here in MA. I have a degree in Biology from Boston College. I’ve worked in clinical research mostly in neurological diseases for the past 15 years and am currently applying to medical school. In the meantime, I’ve been helping found Love Across Borders, a nonprofit organization that provides medical care in very remote villages and most recently had the opportunity to serve in South Sudan. 

I learned about AFTDJ through my friend Christine Samuel, Director of the AFTDJ ESOL program. I’m really excited and grateful to become a teacher’s assistant for ESOL with AFTDJ this summer. It’s been lovely reading your bios and I hope to learn more about you and from you during this program! 

I am Vlada Vokryachko and I have recently graduated from Northeastern University where I studied Business Administration, Marketing, and Business Analytics. I originally came from Baku, Azerbaijan, lived and studied around New York, and eventually moved to Boston and have been here for about three years. In my free time, I love to travel, read, and play in the pool leagues!

Having previously worked in digital marketing, I finally have time to contribute to the causes that I care about. I am excited to join the A Faith That Does Justice volunteer team, where I can combine my passion for social justice with my digital marketing skills to support     marginalized communities and promote intentional faith in action.