Metropolitan New York Area

Margaret is a Program Coordinator for the New York City area. She has been involved with Empower since 2020 in a variety of capacities, including being a Mentor to a young woman in Brooklyn as well as co-chairing LUMINARIA. She was immediately drawn to Empower as it is a community she wished she was a part of while navigating the grief of losing her own mother. Margaret experienced the loss of her mother to breast cancer when she was 20 years old. This experience is one of the reasons she feels so passionate about spreading the mission of Empower to the NYC community of mother loss. Outside of Empower, Margaret is a psychotherapist and lives in Brooklyn with her husband. In her free time, she enjoys running in Prospect Park, cooking new recipes, and traveling!

Margaret can be contacted via email at: margaretgoldsmith@weareempower.org

Alexa grew up in Franklin, a town just outside of Boston and now lives in Scituate, MA with her husband Andrew, daughters Emilia (3), Sadie (1), and their mini bernedoodle, Teddi. She has been apart of Empower as the Program Coordinator for girls of father loss and has been honored to have been here since Empower expanded to serve all children of parent loss. She does this work in loving memory of her dad, Eric whom she lost when she was 13 years old. She misses him every day but is grateful for this organization that is giving youth a safe space in their grief.

She graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2013 and worked as a pediatric nurse for 10 years. She recently started working as a nurse at the Dana Farber/BWH Breast Cancer Center and also started her own luxury organizing business called Sorted Interiors with her incredible friend. Alexa wrote a children’s book, My Hot Air Balloon Ride, to continue her efforts in helping children in their grief. When she is not working, she loves spending time with her family, going to the beach, reading and snowboarding.

Alexa can be contacted via email at: alexa@weareempower.org

Nicci was born and raised in Walpole, MA and graduated from Assumption College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services and Rehabilitation Studies. After many years working various jobs in the corporate world, she followed her passion and became a Certified Grief Coach. She also works with a non-profit serving the adolescent and young adult cancer community.

When Nicci was 24 her dad passed away from graft-versus-host disease, a complication following a stem cell transplant for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. After being so heavily impacted by her loss, she knew one day she would turn this pain into her purpose. Her desire to help and support others through grief led her to Empower in 2023 where she became a Mentor and now, a Program Coordinator for Girls of Fatherloss. She feels very grateful to have found an organization that shares the same mission and values as her own.

Nicci and her husband Dan live in Wrentham, MA with their two children, Danny (4) and Siena (1.5). She and her family love to stay active outdoors, go to the beach, and enjoy making delicious home cooked meals together!

Nicci can be contacted via email at: nicci@weareempower.org

Ali Thomas is a dynamic leader and manager of all field coordinators across the globe.  Ali is a longtime friend of founder Cara Belvin and experienced the loss of her mother Doreen to cancer when she was 17 years old.  Ali joined Empower’s efforts as a volunteer in 2020 and later joined Empower as the Mentor Program Manager.  Ali’s passion is unwavering and was a driving force in the Empower expansion to serve all children of any parent loss.

Ali attended Eastern Connecticut State University and spent over 20 years building and developing teams in the public and private sector and worked with various leadership groups at the University of Oklahoma.

Ali can be contacted via email at: ali@weareempower.org.

Christine lost her mom when she was 29 years old. At that time, she did not know many people who had gone through parent loss which made grieving difficult. Through her parent loss journey, she connected with many people as she continued to open up and share her story. Ultimately, this led her to Empower. Christine was a former teacher who lives in New Jersey with her husband and two boys who keep her very busy.

Christine can be contacted via email: christineyu@weareempower.org

Emily Seneca lost her beautiful Mom to cancer at the age of 9, just two weeks before she turned 10, and she truly understands the profound impact of grief. She is passionate about Empower and its dedication to fostering a sense of community with youth and volunteers who have experienced the loss of their parent(s) and showing others that they are not alone in this journey. This kind of support is something she so wished she had at a young age, as she didn’t meet another woman who had also lost their mom until later in life. She is local to Champaign, Illinois, living with her husband and their two dogs. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, hiking, bike riding, crafting, and songwriting.

If you have any questions about your Mentor Application or screening materials, Emily can be contacted via email at: eseneca@weareempower.org.