May 2005, Vol. 1, No. 2| Back Issues

Meet Hilary Morrison, Assistant Research Scientist, Josephine Bay Paul Center and Emergency Foster Parent When Hilary Morrison isn’t sequencing the genomes of infectious parasites here at the MBL, she’s doing something equally important. She and her husband Todd are Emergency (Hotline) Foster Parents who are dedicated to providing temporary evening and weekend shelter to children and teens in need. Four-and-a-half years ago, Hilary, an expert in infectious diseases and epidemiology, and Todd, an ocean engineer with affiliations at WHOI, read a Falmouth Enterprise story about the Department of Social Service’s (DSS’s) need for foster families. “There is a disturbing lack of all kinds of foster homes,” says Hilary. The Morrisons, who have two children aged 13 and 8, decided they wanted to help. So they contacted DSS and underwent rigorous background checks, a home study, and special training. And when the process was done, they became one of the first families to sign up for the Emergency Foster Parent program. “We both work full time but we wanted to make a worthwhile contribution,” Hilary says. “This was something that suited our circumstances.” Since Hilary and Todd became foster parents, they have provided emergency care for more than 200 kids ranging from newborn to 18 years old from Brockton, New Bedford, Fall River, Plymouth, and Cape Cod. Many of the kids the Morrisons help are teens whose parents have substance abuse or other problems. “Most of the kids are good kids in a bad situation,” Hilary says. The Morrison children and the family’s pets—three cats, a dog, two hamsters and some fish—often help break the ice with the foster kids who stay with them. And, according to Hilary, breaking the ice is often the most important thing a foster family can do. “The most rewarding thing about foster parenting is feeling you are communicating with a child, that you are making a connection,” she says. “It definitely doesn’t happen all the time, but there are many kids we’ve cared for who have been very memorable.” To learn more about short-term foster parenting, call the Department of Social Services at 1-800-KIDS-508, or e-mail Lynn.Mourao@state.ma.us.

MBL in the Community Many MBL employees serve their communities in a variety of ways: as volunteers, mentors, and members of boards and committees. Each issue we tip our hats to some of our employees who give their time and expertise to a number of important causes. Carol Schachinger Assistant Managing Editor, The Biological Bulletin Carol coordinates the Overnights of Hospitality program for the homeless at Christ Lutheran Church in Falmouth. The initiative was developed two years ago by the Cape Cod Council of Churches and the Salvation Army as a way to help alleviate the overflow problem at Hyannis’ NOAH Shelter. Christ Lutheran Church is one of over 30 churches and synagogues Cape-wide that offer overnight accommodations for homeless men and women. Two nights each month, Christ Lutheran provides housing and meals for seven women. Carol stays overnight with the guests and also organizes about 20 volunteers who drive to Hyannis to pick up the women, provide food and hospitality, set up, clean up, do laundry, or stay overnight. “This is one tiny way to help with this shameful problem,” Carol says. “It’s very humbling, very educational.” Many of the homeless Carol has gotten to know became homeless simply by losing a job or getting sick. “This has been a real eye-opening experience,” she explains. “Anyone who lives from paycheck to paycheck could be in the same situation.” Over the last two years, the Overnights of Hospitality program has provided over 10,000 meals and beds. “This is just one small drop in the bucket to alleviate the problem of homelessness,” says Carol. The bigger challenge, she adds, is getting Town officials to recognize the Cape’s homeless problem. “The Overnights of Hospitality program has also helped bring the problem to the forefront,” she says. “It’s not being completely ignored anymore.” Carol joined the staff of the Bulletin in 1997. Continued pg. 2

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