Happy Birthday Annie

HAPPYBIRTHDAY ANNIE!



I don’t know where to begin when I try to pin downwhy Annie is important to The Family DinnerProject – the ethos of the organization, the mission,the compassionate approach (and so much more) allbenefit from Annie’s influence and inspiration, andit’s hard to know what the organization or the workwould be like without Annie. The dinner that wehosted with Sanctuary for Families is one of myfavorite memories with Annie and FDP.The empathy with which she approached theevent, the thoughtfulness and humility she broughtto bear in both the planning and the event itself,and the joy she clearly got from helping the familiesin attendance, were all wonderful to be part of.For me personally, Annie is an inspiration. She has somuch more experience and expertise than I do, butalways makes me feel like my opinion and my work arevalued. It’s easy to forget how many different (andimportant) hats Annie wears in her life, because whenyou’re meeting with or interacting with her, she’s focusedand in the moment, despite the many demands on hertime. I also value the fact that I get to see Annie as amother in a unique way - I have the privilege of workingwith Joe, and knowing Gabe, as well as benefiting fromAnnie’s expertise through FDP – and I’m in awe of whatshe’s accomplished.Charlotte