When Christabel Thomas graduated from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2020 with a degree in pharmaceutical sciences, she expected that she would start a career in helping others stay healthy. Instead, she is helping people find safe and affordable homes.
Thomas joined Metro Housing|Boston in the fall of 2021 as a coordinator at the nonprofit’s Housing Consumer Education Center (HCEC), which helps families address housing crises, educate and assist tenants and property owners and respond to constituent issues reported by elected officials.
“Housing is a basic human right, and it affects the whole being, including one’s health,” Thomas said. “it’s hard to put into words the joy I feel when I help someone escape a crisis and see them in a stable home.”
As an HCEC coordinator, Thomas is on the frontlines every day, connecting people with resources that can help them along the continuum of homelessness prevention, housing stability and economic security.
“It feels like such a privilege for people to invite me into some of their most vulnerable moments that they are experiencing,” said Thomas. “I get to walk alongside people no matter where they are along the housing continuum and provide as many resources as possible while also advocating for them when
necessary.”
“When things get difficult, successful people roll up their sleeves and work even harder. That is Christabel,” said Kyrenecia Casterlow, Thomas’s supervisor. “She always handles each situation
thrown at her with grace, a smile and humility.”
Thomas’s compassionate nature carries over to her personal life as she volunteers with the teen youth group at church and is part of the Boston Healthcare Fellowship and the Miracle Mile Ministries.
“Christabel’s dedication, commitment and compassion were evident as she helped me with the resources I needed to stay in my apartment,” said Joan Cetta, a Metro Housing participant.