Housing Justice
Meet Our Leaders
Restoring dignity by addressing relational poverty and housing insecurity through accompaniment, advocacy and education.
This is our "Housing Insecurity Team of Volunteers", formerly known as "Faith Leaders for Housing Justice (FL4HJ)".
Arthur Davies
Art retired from Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Consulting Engineers as the Director of Laboratory Services where he led the Materials Laboratory supporting engineering services for new construction as well as investigation of emerging materials and failure analysis. Art is a member of United Church of Christ, Medfield, MA. He has served as a member of the Soup to Go ministry since 2003 and has led that ministry since 2010 Soup to Go provides fellowship with Boston’s unhoused individuals through street ministry. Since 2010, it has served regularly at the Boston Public Health emergency shelters at Woods Mullen, Long Island and 112 Southampton St. After the Long IslandI Bridge closure in 2014, he participated in the initial meetings resulting in Boston Warm. Art is trained and has served as a Stephen Minister. After serving at the Southampton shelter and observing the inhumane conditions and suffering occurring in the tent encampment surrounding the shelter, Art reached out to Rev. Dr. Nancy Taylor of Old South Church in September, 2021 to express the need for churches to come together as they did for Boston Warm to impact the untenable conditions at Mass and Cass to equip congregations to create a ministry of presence to those suffering through housing crisis. At Rev. Taylor’s recommendation, Art formed Faith Leaders for Housing Justice by partnering with Rev. June Cooper and includes over 25 churches and faith leaders.
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Rev. June Cooper
The former Director of City Mission Boston, the second oldest not-for-profit organization in the county. June has been engaged in creating and implementing innovative programming to address health disparities. She was the first Executive Director of Boston Healthy Start a multi-million-dollar federal initiative that was credited with reducing Boston’s infant mortality rate in the 90’s. Currently, June serves as the Theologian in the City at Old South Church in Copley Square. In this role she serves as a social justice educator and catalyst for engaging the congregation in direct action and service. In 2015, she convened a group of faith leaders to respond to the closing of the Long Island Shelter, by establishing safe and warm daytime centers.
June is the President of Social Justice U which offers program development services and conducts Boston’s first Green Book Tour and pilgrimages to Montgomery and Selma, Alabama.
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Sara Mitchell
Sarah came to the South End of Boston in 1976 and started working at the Emmanuel Gospel Center initially with the largely Spanish speaking immigrant community in a Multi -Language Christian Book store. She was co- manager of the bookstore and did extensive community work and translation with those who were new to the city.
In 2001 she moved to work with those experiencing homelessness with Starlight Ministries, also a program of the Emmanuel Gospel Center. At Starlight she worked as a case manager/advocate, helped run a drop-in center, and a van outreach at night to those on the street. Starlight’s strength was the involvement of volunteers in these program sites. She was involved in recruiting, training, and supervising volunteers.
Currently Sara is a Community Chaplain with a focus on the South End and those who spend time in the Mass Ave. and Melnea Cass Blvd area. She has participated with Faith Leaders for Housing Justice since its inception and heads up a group at Woods Mullen Shelter on a weekly basis.
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Amanda Grant-Rose
Amanda is the Deputy Director of Winter Walk Boston. The Winter Walk is an initiative that believes ending homelessness is within our reach. Its mission is to raise awareness and funds towards that goal, and to support organizations in Greater Boston that are working on prevention, support, and care for our homeless community. Amanda was formerly the Executive Director, common cathedral (Ecclesia Ministries, Inc.). common cathedral is an outdoor congregation of housed and un-housed persons- sharing God’s love through community, pastoral care, creative expression, and worship on Boston Common. She also served this community as an ordained elder of the Presbyterian Church.
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Reverend Jennifer McCracken
Reverend McCracken is the Head Pastor for and with the MANNA (Many Angels Now and Always) community at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston. MANNA is a community of unhoused, unsheltered people. She joined the MANNA community to serve people experiencing homelessness after a long career as a Registered Nurse and found a place of belonging for herself as well as others.
