Pam Terry connects deeply with one of Roof Above’s core values: Value Others. “I love that we say, ‘We honor the profound worth of each life.’ That’s the value that resonates with me the most. I really try to see the people we serve.”
As part of the Philanthropy Services team, she is responsible for the accurate and timely processing of monetary and in-kind donations and acknowledgments for gifts received at Roof Above. This includes adding and updating donor records in the database. “I enjoy the analytical skills, the database maintenance and the attention to detail that this job requires,” she says. “But I think more than that, I enjoy learning about our donors and what motivates them to support our work.”
Pam joined Roof Above part-time in 2018 as a shelter assistant. Her background as a financial analyst with GE Plastics led her to transition into working for the shelter’s Finance team and then into the Philanthropy office. Working at Roof Above has turned out to be a good fit for both her analytical brain and her tender heart.
She recently earned a certificate in social justice and community organizing from Queens University, and she’s putting those skills to work in voter education and outreach. She partners with League of Women Voters, as well as Vote Riders, to assist the neighbors with voter registration. Whenever she has a chance to interact with a neighbor, guest, or tenant, she tries to listen twice as much as she talks.
“Everybody is so unique. No two stories are the same,” she says. “I just try to give everyone the respect of acknowledging them as an individual because I hear that many times they feel they are invisible”
