Thalia Tringo Honored by Somerville Homeless Coalition

SOMERVILLE- November 2nd, 2012 The Somerville Homeless Coalition held its Fourth annual luncheon in memory of Tina DeLellis at the Highland Kitchen in Somerville. The Luncheon is a tribute to Tina DeLellis; the beloved owner of Johnny D's, and a notable community leader in Somerville. Those who knew her said that Tina was famous for treating anyone who walked in the door like family, a quality easily replicated by Carla DeLellis, who took over Johnny D's after Tina's death.

 The Somerville Homeless Coalition holds its annual tribute to Tina as a reminder of the power of community involvement. "Tina was a real fixture in Davis Square, and her death was devastating to many members of the community," said Mark Alston-Follansbee, Executive Director of the Somerville Homeless Coalition; "we want to keep her memory alive."

Carla DeLellis has done her part to keep her mother's values of family and community alive, ever since her decision seventeen years ago to spearhead the revitalization of a benefit run for the Coalition. Carla was also influential in starting up the Davis Area Residents and Business Initiative, or DARBI, whose mission is to "build community in Davis Square by supporting, organizing and participation in events."

It was through her involvement in DARBI that Carla met this year's honoree, Thalia Tringo. Carla admired Thalia's commitment to service and appreciated her event planninig skills, which she had accrued from years of working in development in the nonprofit field. Eventually, Thalia became involved with the Somerville Homeless Coalition out of a motivation to give back to her community. She has been helping the Coalition with event planning for years, and has organizied the silent auction at one of the Coalition's major fundraisers. "We feel so fortunate that she joined our board because she has a creative, pragmatic, and hands-on approach that we had been missing in years past," said Mark Alston-Follansbee.

Outside of her work with the Somerville Homeless coalition, Thalia Tringo is a highly successful Real Estate Agent and is president of Thalia Tringo Associates, a business located in Somerville. Thalia integrates her social consciousness into the work she does at her company, giving $250 from each sale to a local charity of the home buyer's choice, citing a desire to get her client more involved in their community.

The mission of the Somerville Homeless Coalition is to provide homeless and near homeless individuals and families with individualized supportive services and tailored housing solutions with a goal of obtaining and maintaining permanent housing.