This morning I received a text message from my friend, colleague and business partner, Elisavet Pesirides. She wanted me to be on the lookout for a $500 donation through Volunteer Housing Initiative. She then shared that her employer, Scott Kriss, the Principal of Kriss Law, is matching her donation. Just WOW, I’m just so touched! And Scott! Thank you for supporting me and Liz, who is such an amazing representative of your organization.
I’ve received quite a few donations so far and am so very thankful! I want to highlight these two as they push me over the edge and will allow my friend Jay of Hope Shelter to place his order, meaning beds could possibly be there by the time I arrive. How exciting is that! Thank you to all who have contributed – THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Without further adieus, let me introduce you to Liz. I met Liz in the late 2000s, she was a woman trying to grow in the real estate industry. She was seeking to create mutually beneficial referral relationships and I was working as a loan officer for a big box bank. I remember sitting with her in a Starbucks in Milton MA, talking about how tough it could be in this industry as a woman. I was 10 – maybe 20? – years her senior and had already lived the issues and had a lot of anecdotes and advice to offer about what she was living. A relationship formed that day and we became business partners, but also friends. She would seek my advice on issues and I would respond in my “frank” way. We’ve referred a lot of business back and forth over the years.
In addition to connecting with work stuff, we almost always have breakfast or lunch or drinks while attending the same Real Estate-related conferences or events. I will say rather emphatically that I must be careful that we not sit together at more formal events. She’s that friend who makes it easy to forget where you are. That’s because she’s the friend who talks with her hands and can be – let’s say, “expressive” in her tone. I once laughed so loud that I nearly spit my coffee on a 10-person table. Thank goodness for those formal cloth napkins!
Over all these years we have mostly talked about business, but with a healthy dose of family and a pinch of politics thrown in for good measure. I did know that her family came to the US due to issues in their homeland of Greece and it was clear that she is very proud of her Greek heritage.
And, yet, there was a lot I didn’t know. Liz’s reason for donating was a very personal one. She is from an immigrant family who originally were forced to flee from the war with the Turks. Because they ran north, her great-grandparents were born in Russia. History was repeated through her grandparents, who were forced to flee during the Armenian genocide. As they were considered refugees upon returning to their home in Greece, they became eligible to immigrate to America and begin a new life. How very fortunate for them. And how fortunate for me that what occurred all those years ago is what led to a coffee in Starbucks and a friendship — and to the help you and Scott are sending.
Thank you Liz. You guys rock!
Will you help me help? There are lots of ways to donate, but know that all monies no matter how they are received will be used for beds, mattresses and supplies for the Hope Shelter. Your donations can be tax deductible if you make them through Volunteer Housing Initiative. You will have the opportunity to add a comment to tell them you want your funds to go toward this effort. Or, you can donate directly to me via Venmo @MtgMistress or by PayPal through this site.