She's Local Goddess Award

Goddess Award

Debra Sayre

2022 Goddess Award Recipient

Dr. Milagros Abru

President/CEO and Founder, The Latino Health Insurance Program, Inc. www.lhiprogram.org

Dr. Milagros Abreu is the President – CEO and Founder of the Latino Health Insurance Program, Inc. (LHIP).  After obtaining her Medical Degree and residency in Pediatrics, Dr. Abreu worked for BMC and Boston University, where she obtained her master’s degree in Epidemiology at BU School of Public Health. She worked as an Assistant Professor for BUSPH, Epidemiology Department until 2012.  In 2006, she founded LHIP.  LHIP has assisted 86,000 individuals and families on health care access, chronic disease prevention, federal nutritional programs, and disease management in MA. Dr. Abreu has been an award recipient for her tremendous efforts to reduce health care disparities and contributions to public health. She was presented the Latinx Excellence on the Hill Award in 2019 by the Black and Latino Caucus after being nominated by the Senate President for this distinction. The Framingham Medical Reserve Corps, City of Boston, Massachusetts State Senate, Massachusetts Medical Society with its Ingersoll Bowditch Award for Excellent in Public Health, the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, and the 1^st Kate Lorig Innovator award, among others.  Her research studies include increase access to preventive medicine, how to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations, the benefits of Diabetes Self-Management Education in the control of diabetes, the benefits of partnering with community-based organization in the management and control of chronic conditions, cross-culture medicine, cultural competency in the medical settings, workforce diversity and the impact of language in health care. She is also a Master Trainer of “Tomando Control de su salud”, the Spanish version of CDSMP and a volunteer SHINE counselor. 

2021 Goddess Award Recipient

Deborah Sweet

Deborah Sweet is a writer, activist, and advocate who focuses her work on lending her heart and her voice to vulnerable children, while coexisting within the hard spaces of childhood trauma. As a Foster Parent Ambassador for the Department of Children and Families, Deborah works tirelessly at raising community awareness for kids who come from difficult places, but works even harder as a foster/adoptive/biological parent to children with complex medical and behavioral health needs. Deborah and her husband have won the prestigious Massachusetts Foster Parents of the Year Award, and have been recognized for their work by the Massachusetts Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children at their annual Gala. Deborah is a teacher by trade, with a Masters Degree in Education and over a decade of classroom experience, but now spends her time advocating for school districts to practice from a trauma informed lens, and to provide wrap-around services for children who are challenged by developmental trauma. Deborah is the founder of WE’VE GOT YOUR BACKpack, a backpack and school supply drive that provides much needed lifelines of support for hundreds of at-risk children throughout the Commonwealth. Deborah’s writing has been featured on national and international websites and can be found on her blog, Because I Stay. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and six(ish) kids, plus a couple of amazing animals that add to the calm of the house, not the chaos.

Goddess Award

Susan McDonough

Susan McDonough is a South Boston native and resident of Holbrook, Massachusetts who leads the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Women Veterans’ Network, a program of the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services that seeks to provide connection and resources to women veterans across the Commonwealth.

Her advocacy on behalf of women veterans comes naturally and is ingrained in family tradition. She is a veteran herself, having served in the United States Army from 1994-1998, and in the Massachusetts National Guard from 2000-2002. Susan’s stations include the 29^th Signal Battalion at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington, and the 16^th Medical Logistics Battalion in Taegu, South Korea.

Susan is the first female in her family to serve in the military, though  her family’s military service is long and deep, tracing back to the Civil War.  Her fourth great grandfather, Willian Newland, received the Congressional Medal of Honor for engagement, resulting in the Union victory in Mobile Bay, under the leadership of Navy Admiral David Farragut.

Susan also serves as the Commander of the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, and former Commander of the American Legion, Martin F. McDonough Post #368 in 2019 – 2020, 

A longtime advocate for women veterans, Susan also serves on the Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence. 

Goddess Award

Jill Clifford & Aubrey Schwartz

Goddess Award 2021

Cara Belvin

Cara was desperate to meet another girl like her after her beautiful + brave mother died of breast cancer when she was just 9 years old. Cara’s extended family and friends helped to fill the void left behind by this profound loss. empowerHER® was formed out of the gratitude Cara felt for all the support her family received growing up. As a mother herself, she felt it would be as much for these mothers as it would be for these young girls. Cara formed empowerHER® as a grassroots organization around her dining room table in a small, coastal town outside of Boston. Word quickly spread across the country of her work and empowerHER®’s mission. Thousands of inquiries came in from women who wished for an organization like empowerHER when they were growing up. Today, Cara works with these Ambassadors to form new Chapters in communities all around the world in an effort to connect, support + empower girls everywhere

Goddess Award

Dianne Fuller Doherty

Dianne Fuller Doherty has her own working definition of ‘entrepreneur.’

“Someone who’s resourceful,” said the now … well, let’s call it semi-retired director of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network’s Western Mass. office, before elaborating in some detail.

“Successful entrepreneurs are willing to ask for help; many people, particularly young people, think they have to have all the answers themselves,” she explained. “They don’t, and they need to develop the willingness to seek help and not be ashamed to ask. It is amazing how many people have struggled with that.”

For more than 20 years, it was the MSBDC — and quite often Fuller Doherty herself — that entrepreneurs, including BusinessWest founder John Gormally, would turn to for such help and guidance with everything from financing a venture to marketing a product, to simply deciding if a concept had legs. Often, it didn’t, and she would help them come to that important conclusion.

It was immensely rewarding work — and it still is.

Indeed, even though she officially retired from the MSBDC in 2016, Fuller Doherty remains quite active — with everything from mentoring young entrepreneurs, and especially women, to serving on the boards at Valley Venture Mentors, Tech Foundry, and Western New England University, where she sits on the committee now searching for a successor to long-time president Anthony Caprio.

Fuller Doherty — who bylined a piece for the New York Times in 2010, one in a series of pieces spotlighting people working past, or well past, what would be considered retirement age — has always believed in keeping the calendar full, and today, four years after retiring and also losing her husband, Paul Doherty, to cancer, she does so with everything from yoga and Pilates to consulting and mentoring.

“My feeling is that, as long as I’m doing something of value, why not continue doing it?’ she asked rhetorically in the piece she wrote for the Times. And those words ring true as she continues to do a number of things of value.

Especially in her role as a mentor and, yes, a role model to entrepreneurs, including a number of women who have been steered in her direction, continuing work to build the region’s economy through the development and maturation of small businesses.

“I love helping people, and I learn more from any job than I’ve ever given to people,” she told BusinessWest. “And that’s definitely true with mentoring; you learn about new industries, jobs, and approaches. I learn so much from my clients and mentees.”

Throughout her life and her career, Fuller Doherty has been a strong advocate for women — she was one of the founders of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts — and “ensuring they have full and equal share in economic, social, cultural, and political decision making,” as she put it. There is still some work to do, but overall, she believes great strides have been made.

And she feels the same about the region itself.

“We have a lot going for us here — there is quality of life, great colleges and universities, and wonderful communities in which to raise families,” she said. “It’s a great story, and we need to be telling it.”

For all that she has done — and all she continues to do — she’s a true Difference Maker.

Goddess Award

Sarai Rivera

The Honorable Rev. Dr. Sarai Rivera is an Afro-Boriqua born in Bronx, New York. She came to Worcester, Massachusetts, at the age of four, where she was raised and educated through college. Rev. Dr. Rivera is an alumna of Worcester State College (Bachelors of Science- Psychology), the University of Connecticut School of Social Work (Masters in Social Work – concentration in Clinical and Group Work), and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (Doctorate in Urban Ministries – publication Developing Agents of Shalom: Leadership Development for Community Transformation – specific focus on Latino Leadership)    She has worked professionally within the Worcester Community since 1988. She has extensive experience in the areas of community mental health and interventions for multicultural populations in urban settings, as well as community organizing. She has specialized in crisis interventions, trauma, group work, individual therapy, and pastoral counseling for adults, adolescents, and families. She has developed and implemented clinical and psycho-educational programs for adolescents and adults with a joint publication in 1997 in the American Psychiatric Association (Nuevos Horizontes a Latino Day Program).     Ordained in 2000, Rev. Dr. Rivera co-founded Christian Community Church with her husband, the Rev. Jose Encarnacion. They are co-pastors of the successful urban ministry that catalyzes change through faith in action and community organizing. She is the recipient of various awards and recognitions for her work and dedication both locally and abroad. She was instrumental in co-founding “Project Love,” an International Global Partnership Program in Haiti, Burundi, Kenya, and Uganda. Project Love Haiti encompasses initiatives for Racial & Economic Equity, Sustainability, Economic Development, Empowerment Organizing, Political Diplomacy, Education, and Healing Circles for Victims of Violence. Project Love Burundi, Kenya, and Uganda encompass initiatives for Political Diplomacy, Healing Circles for Women victims of violence and sexual exploitation, and psychosocial groups for refugees and internally displaced victims due to civil unrest, violence, and natural disasters. In addition to traveling to Project Love partner countries, Rev. Dr. Rivera has also traveled to many other countries, such as Rwanda, Cuba, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, to observe and learn from human services organizations.    Rev. Dr. Sarai Rivera has dedicated her life’s work to social justice issues. She began early in her career working with high-risk children, youth, and families that were often part of the state’s protective or juvenile system. Rev. Dr. Rivera also began working intensively in the field of major mental illness for youth and adults. This led to her work with youth, adults, and families from marginalized and stigmatized communities, where she helped advocate and participate in creating evidence-based intervention models. She now continues with the same passion, working on the implementation of social policy that helps bring forth equity in the following areas: Health Equity, Youth Violence Prevention, Unaccompanied Refugee Minors, Undocumented Minors, Asylum Seekers, Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation, Substance Abuse, Mental Health, Combating Racism, and Educational Equity.    In November of 2011, Rev. Dr. Rivera made history as she was elected as a Worcester City Councilor for District 4, making her the first Latina (Afro-Boricua) in the city of Worcester ever elected into municipal government. At the time she was elected she was the only serving BIPOC in the entire Worcester Delegation. In 2021, she made history again, making her the longest-serving District 4 councilor and longest serving Woman of Color in the Worcester governmental delegation. After 12 years of incredible service Rev. Dr. Rivera retired in December 31, 2023.   Rev. Dr. Rivera lives in Worcester, Massachusetts, with her husband of 30 years, Rev. Jose Encarnacion, where they raised their children together and now enjoy their grandchildren. She continues to serve as Co-Senior Pastor of Christian Community Church overseeing her Urban Ministry work at the the Shalom Neighborhood Center, which opened its doors in the fall of 2010, an organization she helped Co-found as well as Project Love Global Partnership (that works on international sustainable work and Christ Love shared) She’s also Clinical Therapist/Consultant, a Senior Administrator at a RMG Medical Group, a community, Governmental and Community Affairs Consultant, DEI Consultant,  Public Speaker, committed to equity and social justice as her life’s work, organizer, and an active member of various Boards, Initiatives, and Commissions throughout Worcester, engaging in community work and advocating for social justice.   

2022 Goddess Award Recipient

Yesenia Arroyo

Yesenia Arroyo is an LCSW who has dedicated her life to serving her community which started with her family. Yesenia had a dream to create central hub for community resources to help serve our local community in Southbridge. Yesenia is dedicated to providing culturally competent resources to assist the most vulnerable populations in our community. The Wellstorm, Inc is focused on bridging the gap of poverty experience, mental health resources, and food insecurity in the community. Yesenia is currently a telehealth therapist at Attunement Counseling and Wellness Collective serving individuals and couples in MA and RI.

Goddess Award

Missey Smith

Missey Smith turned her personal tragedy into remarkable public policy achievements following the murder of her daughter Kelsey. Ms. Smith and her husband created the Kelsey Smith Foundation (a.k.a. Kelsey’s Army), which educates parents, law enforcement and various groups on the realities of crime and personal safety, the challenges that children face today, and about Kelsey’s case and the lessons to be learned from it.

The Smiths have advocated for the Kelsey Smith Act, which provides law enforcement with a way to quickly ascertain the location of a wireless telecommunications device if it’s been determined that a person is at risk of death or serious physical harm due to being kidnapped or missing. Kelsey had been missing for 4 days in 2007 before she was eventually found murdered. During those difficult 4 days, the Smiths, along with law enforcement and the district attorney, asked the cell phone provider to release the location of Kelsey’s phone; however, the provider would not, citing privacy regulations.

At the time Kelsey was missing, her parents could not understand why there was an issue identifying the location of Kelsey’s phone. They knew this would be the quickest and most accurate way to find their daughter. Once the phone’s location was given to law enforcement, Kelsey’s body was found in approximately 45 minutes. After resolution in their daughter’s murder case, the Smiths met with local legislators to change how cell phone companies must respond to a request when there are exigent circumstances.

Ms. Smith has selflessly advanced Kelsey’s Law, which has passed in 23 states—testifying before Congress and House and Senate lawmakers in many states. She has met with groups that oppose this legislation to negotiate acceptable terms. The Kelsey Smith Act clearly has the potential to save lives and, in most states, does not cost anything to implement.

Remarkably, this legislation has been used to recover the body of a murder victim, recover a baby that was in a carjacked vehicle, prevent a suicide, and save a potential drug overdose victim. Thanks to Ms. Smith’s valiant advocacy, this law can save even more lives, resolve more criminal investigations, and give families much-needed answers in unsolved cases. The Kelsey Smith Foundation ® – KelseysArmy.org

Goddess Award

Mary Speta

Mary Speta is a researcher, educator, speaker, and advocate in the movement to end commercial sexual exploitation. She serves as Executive Director of Amirah, Inc., a Massachusetts-based nonprofit providing exit and aftercare services to women who have experienced prostitution, sex trafficking, and commercial sexual exploitation. Mary utilizes her own lived experience of commercial sexual exploitation as well as her research on the commercial sex trade to break down myths, inform policy, and shape effective evidence-based exit ramps supporting individuals seeking independence from commercial sex. She serves on multiple legislative advisory and service provision committees throughout New England as a policy adviser and consultant on prostitution and intersectional issues. As an educator, Mary regularly speaks at universities, helping the next generation of service providers and policy makers understand the complexities of commercial sex in the United States. The work she enjoys most, though, is walking alongside other women exiting the commercial sex trade as a mentor and supporting them as they reach economic independence and walk the road of recovery. Mary is a candidate in the Doctor of Law and Policy program at Northeastern University, where her research focuses on the phenomenon of prostitution, the distorted impact of prostitution criminalization, and evidence-based policy approaches to supporting exit from the commercial sex trade. She also holds a master’s degree in arts and nonprofit administrative sciences from Boston University and completed her undergraduate studies at Gordon College.