Open Doors Gala: An Evening of HOPE

Project HOPE Boston Marks 45 Years, Honors Former State Senator Linda Dorcena-Forry

Marie St. Fleur to present Sister Margaret Leonard Leadership Award; WGBH’s Paris Alston to moderate fireside chat with Dorcena-Forry, St. Fleur and Project HOPE Executive Director Michelle Botus; Boston poet Amanda Shea to emcee

BOSTON, Mass. — Project HOPE Boston will celebrate its 45th anniversary and honor former Massachusetts State Senator Linda Dorcena-Forry at its Open Doors Gala: An Evening of HOPE on Friday, Oct. 16, at Venezia Restaurant in Boston.

The evening will honor Dorcena-Forry with the Sister Margaret Leonard Leadership Award, named for
Project HOPE Boston founder Sister Margaret Leonard.

For Dorcena-Forry, the recognition is personal. Her family’s relationship with the Little Sisters of the Assumption began before she was born, when the sisters provided support to her mother and family in Dorchester. Dorcena-Forry later served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Massachusetts Senate.

“My family’s connection to the Little Sisters goes back to before I was born. The sisters were there for my mother and our family, and Sister Margaret was a leader in the neighborhood. When she spoke, people listened,” said Dorcena-Forry. “To receive an award in her name as Project HOPE celebrates 45 years of lifting up women and families is deeply meaningful to me.”

Former Massachusetts State Representative Marie St. Fleur will present the award to Dorcena-Forry. Dorcena-Forry and St. Fleur share longstanding ties to Boston’s community and public-service circles.

Founded in 1981, Project HOPE Boston grew from the work of the Little Sisters of the Assumption, who opened the doors of their convent to women and children experiencing homelessness. Today, Project HOPE works with families in Boston’s Dorchester and Roxbury neighborhoods on their journeys toward financial wellbeing and housing stability through housing services, education, workforce development, childcare and other supports.

“Project HOPE opened its doors 45 years ago, and I'm living proof of what happens when those doors stay open. I came to Project HOPE as a client, and today I lead it,” said Michelle Botus, Executive Director of Project HOPE Boston. “Senator Dorcena-Forry has spent her career fighting for the families we serve, and she embodies everything Sister Margaret stood for. We are proud to honor her as we celebrate 45 years of HOPE.”

The evening’s program will also feature a special fireside chat with Dorcena-Forry, St. Fleur and Botus moderated by WGBH’s Paris Alston. Amanda Shea, a Boston poet and three-time Boston Music Awards Spoken Word Artist of the Year, will serve as emcee. Shea received the award in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

As part of the anniversary celebration, the Prudential Tower will be illuminated green and purple on Oct. 16 in support of Project HOPE Boston, bringing the organization’s 45th anniversary celebration to the Boston skyline.

The Open Doors Gala will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, at Venezia Restaurant, 20 Ericsson St., Boston. The evening will include a cocktail hour, dinner, the Sister Margaret Leonard Leadership Award presentation, fireside chat, a silent auction with online and on-site bidding, and entertainment.

For Gala information, tickets and tables, visit prohope.org/gala2026.

About Project HOPE Boston

Project HOPE Boston works with families in the Dorchester and Roxbury neighborhoods of Boston on their journeys toward financial wellbeing and housing stability. Its integrated programs include housing services, education and workforce readiness, family childcare and other supports designed to help families build greater stability and economic opportunity.

For more information, visit prohope.org.