Dr. Shannon Mason is stepping down as head of Mercer Street Friends.
For more than a decade, Dr. Shannon Mason has been more than a friend to Mercer Street Friends.
In her 13-plus years at the forefront of battling poverty in our community, Mason has overseen a major overhaul of the nonprofit, including outreach efforts to schools and the expansion of adult education programming.
Dr. Shannon MasonUnder her sure hand, Mercer Street Friends is reaping the benefits of a five-year, $2.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The funds are helping support a community school model at the Luis Rivera Community Middle School.
Community schools are committed to addressing the needs of the entire populace through after-school programs, health screenings, family counseling and parent classes, among other services.
Mason's announcement that she'll be moving on in June to focus more on her pastoral position at New and Living Ways Ministries in Trenton leaves a gap the organization is already scrambling to fill.
Head of Mercer Street Friends is leaving
The executive director notified the board of directors last week that her June 3 resignation also will allow her to help energize and transform other organizations as she did for the anti-hunger agency.
The Trenton native began her tenure at Mercer Friends in 2003 as the director of youth services, moving to the top spot in 2012.
In addition to an impressive resume - including a master's degree in education in psychological services from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in counseling psychology from Temple University - Mason brought with her the deep-seated conviction that poverty is one of the nation's greatest injustices.
"It impacts every aspect of health, education, work and family relationships," she said in a statement when her appointment as executive director was announced.
Under her guidance, the organization has stayed true to its mission: reducing hunger in Trenton and surrounding communities, helping individuals overcome barriers to success in school and in the workplace, and breaking the cycle of neglect and abuse in at-risk families.
It's a heavy burden. By all accounts, Mason carried it with grace and professionalism.
At the dedication of the Luis Rivera Community Middle School last month, U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12th District) paid tribute to Mason's efforts.
"There is nothing more important to me than making sure that the next generation of young minds can reach the bright future they deserve," the congresswoman said.
Saying goodbye to a friend is never easy. Saying goodbye to a friend who is also a visionary and an innovator is gut-wrenching.
We send Shannon Mason off with profound gratitude for the job she's done, and with high hopes that her impact continues to be felt wherever her next chapter takes her.