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Wendy lives in Somerset, MA, with her husband Don, a former Samaritans Volunteer, and their cat Sophie, whom Wendy says is the queen of her house.

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Wendy has been with the Samaritans for three years. She joined after she lost her only child to suicide. Emily was 25 years old. She is pictured here on the right.

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Wendy co-facilitates the Safe Place meetings for suicide loss survivors and answers the hotline.

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Some fun facts about Wendy:  She works as a clinical microbiologist.  In her words, "At present, my time outside of work is well occupied with commitments of different sorts and prepping for an upcoming certification exam, leaving me little time to explore any hobbies and interests. I would say my pastime is serving the needs of others in various ways as I move forward in my grief journey.”

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Wendy loves the tv show "Will and Grace.” She also enjoys shows about crime and history. Wendy’s favorite drink is Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee with one cream, three Splenda, extra ice, and a shot of espresso.

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Her favorite colors are earth tones, and she loves the music of U2, which brings back many memories shared with her daughter, Emily. In one year they went to 3 concerts together. In her words: "I have loved U2’s music since I was in high school. My two favorite songs by them are “Walk On” and “Where The Streets Have No Name.”

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When asked where the most interesting place Wendy has ever visited is, she says Bangladesh. She went to an orphanage on a short-term mission trip in 2019 with her church.

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When asked the question, if you could spend one hour on a park bench talking with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Her answer was Jesus, without a doubt.

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In Wendy’s words, ”I have come to understand that God has led me to the Samaritans. He led me here 2 1/2 months after losing my daughter. I believe in His foreknowledge. He knew I would receive healing, support, and comfort here so that, in turn, I would be able to give healing, support, and comfort to others here and elsewhere. He has equipped me to be as effective as I can be in each of my roles with Samaritans. I have grown to love the organization in its entirety (its mission, its employees, its volunteers, and its callers) for its influence on my personal development and my altruistic yearnings. Volunteering for a suicide prevention hotline enables me to understand better the suffering my daughter Emily endured. It also enables me to understand what I’m enduring in the wake of her passing.“