"I grew up in a home where hospitality was normal. Many of my childhood memories are of my parents welcoming people who were going through tough times—family members, foster kids and strangers. While I prepared myself for a career in Public Policy and took my first job working for the Governor's Office, I quickly realized that my heart needed to be in relationship with people and to share a life with them in a particular way."

 — Mary Peterson, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Maggie's Place

Fellow Biography

In 1999, as a college student, Mary Peterson co-founded Maggie's place, a community that provides housing for expectant women who are alone or living on the streets. The organization operates five homes in three states that serve 40 women at a time. Maggie's Place is now preparing for national expansion. Ms. Peterson has won a number of awards and recognitions from Arizona Business Journal, Arizona Ecumenical Council, Catholic Social Services, Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Soroptimist International, University of Arizona and Xavier College Preparatory.

Field Notes

With the Piper Fellowship, Ms. Peterson will prepare herself and her organization for replication of the Maggie's Place model on a national scale. She will visit Jean Vanier, founder of L'Arche in Oregon, to discuss that organization's journey from operating a handful of homes to more than 130 around the world. She will attend the Executive Integral Leadership Experience at Notre Dame and a social entrepreneurship conference sponsored by Pop!Tech. In addition, Peterson will take Spanish immersion classes and participate in a conference on acedia, which is a term used to define spiritual listlessness, with the goal of helping mentor others and herself when the spiritual path is challenging.

Contact Information

Mary Peterson
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Maggie's Place
602.262.5556
mcpeterson@maggiesplace.org
http://www.maggiesplace.org

Download high res picture...