Supporting Community, Creating Change
Meet Maureen Fallon
How can I help?
That question has been a constant throughout Maureen Fallon’s life, from childhood through adulthood, eventually leading to her strong support of The Brookline Center.
At age 12, Maureen started volunteering as a tutor to children in under-resourced upstate New York communities. At the time, she did not have the language to recognize the mental health struggles many of these children were experiencing, but she knew she felt called to support them.
“My role was to tutor them in math,” Maureen explains. “But I realized that being a friend and consistent presence in their lives meant as much as helping them with their homework.”
That instinct—that showing up matters as much as the help itself—has guided her ever since.
In 2000, after moving to Boston, Maureen volunteered at a residential treatment center for teenage girls, participating in their “Big Sister” program and providing connection and companionship to young people experiencing intense struggles.
Through her volunteer work, Maureen witnessed the intertwined nature of youth and family mental health and came to understand how support for one member strengthens the mental health of the entire family. This approach is integral to The Brookline Center’s work.
It was during her kids’ high school years that Maureen first encountered bryt up close. She knew teens across different towns who had gone through the program: students who had returned to school after a mental health crisis and had found their footing with the help of a clinician, an academic coach, and a room where they could heal. Watching bryt work, from the outside but close enough to see its impact, crystallized something for her.
Bryt is just one of the Brookline Center’s groundbreaking models that bring mental health care to the community. “The Center meets people wherever they are, and I really appreciate the Center’s interest in growing, learning, and creating new ways to expand access,” Maureen says.
When a friend invited her to The Brookline Center’s Kids Fund Gala in 2023, mental health was deeply on her mind. The evening left a lasting impression. “To see someone sharing their personal story and how much the Center had an impact was inspiring,” she says. At this time, Maureen was looking for a new opportunity for community support, and The Brookline Center felt like the perfect fit.
For the past two years, Maureen has been an active member of the Center’s Strategic Development Committee, giving her firsthand insight into what she describes as the Center’s thoughtful, knowledgeable, and dedicated leadership. In July, she’ll join the Center’s Board of Directors.
She urges others to invest in their communities too, emphasizing that a meaningful impact can start small.
“Ask questions, start with a small role, and learn as you go,” Maureen says. “See what you like best, where you want to get more involved, and what’s the best way for you to have an impact.”
In other words, start by asking: How can I help?