SOME (So Others Might Eat), a community-based service organization supporting residents of our nation’s capitol experiencing homelessness and poverty, announced today the appointment of Ralph F. Boyd, Jr., senior resident fellow for leadership and strategy at the Urban Land Institute, as the organization’s new president and CEO.
After 42 years of service as SOME’s first president, Father John Adams is stepping down but will continue to serve the organization and its constituents in an emeritus role, supporting fundraising for the organization and advising its leadership.
“Ralph has a long history of service to our local community,” said Father John Adams, president emeritus of SOME. “We couldn’t be more pleased and excited to welcome someone who has demonstrated such dedication, compassion, and integrity to SOME and its fellowship. We look forward to Ralph’s contributions and how he can play a critical role in SOME’s future efforts.”
Boyd takes the helm of the District’s largest comprehensive human services organization as it marks 50 years of serving Washington’s most vulnerable residents. He will oversee 384 employees and over 8,000 volunteers, a budget of nearly $35 million, and, most importantly, SOME’s hallmark continuum of care, which includes seven crucial lines of service:
- SOME’s Dining Room and emergency services
- Healthcare
- Mental health services
- Substance use disorder treatment
- Services for senior citizens
- Job training
- Affordable housing.
Boyd will also work towards fulfilling SOME’s Affordable Housing Development goal, set in 2005, to create 1,000 units of affordable housing. To date, SOME has 783 units opened or in its development pipeline. Later this year, Boyd will oversee the start of construction on Karin House, a 40-unit program for low-income seniors on the former Walter Reed campus. He will also work closely with SOME’s housing development, dining room, and fundraising teams on plans for a comprehensive renovation of SOME’s Dining Room, where 1,200 hot, nutritious meals are served every day of the year.
“Under the steady leadership of Father John, SOME has grown and adapted to meet the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors, expanding over the past 50 years from a small soup kitchen to the comprehensive service organization we are today,” said Sister Mary Bader, chair of SOME’s Governing Board of Directors. “We knew that his successor would need to have the same vision and ingenuity. Ralph brings the strong background in strategic, financial, and operational planning that SOME needs as the company heads into its next 50 years of service.”
Boyd first became acquainted with SOME during his seven years as chairman, president, and CEO of the Freddie Mac Foundation, Inc. From 2005 to 2012, he was responsible for the national capital region’s largest corporate philanthropic program, which included major financial support for SOME’s affordable housing and supportive services for low income and formerly homeless families.
Later, as CEO of the Massachusetts region of the American Red Cross, Boyd oversaw services for 6.7 million people in more than 350 cities and towns throughout the region, including disaster preparation, response, casework, and recovery services, food services and nutrition programs in underserved and high-need communities, services to armed forces, international services, biomedical (blood) services, and health and safety programs.
He has spent many years working in service of vulnerable and disadvantaged people, including as Assistant Attorney General of the United States heading the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; as well as a co-founding board member, chairman, and interim president and CEO of Center City Public Charter Schools—a consortium of six academically rigorous public charter schools in high-need Washington, DC communities; and as chairman of the NHP Foundation, a national nonprofit developer and owner of affordable housing with supportive services for vulnerable residents.
Most recently, Boyd’s work at the Urban Land Institute has focused on land use and real estate development, including the development of affordable housing. Boyd is a graduate of Haverford College and Harvard Law School.
“It’s a profound honor and challenge to receive the leadership baton from Father John, and I am deeply grateful for the confidence the SOME Board has reposed in me,” Boyd said. “It will take our best effort and I commit to giving my very best to advance SOME’s mission of meeting the critical needs of our most vulnerable neighbors and sustaining SOME’s growth and capacity to serve more people who need it.”
SOME’s Response to COVID-19
SOME has been on the front lines of fighting homelessness, hunger, and poverty in Washington, DC, for 50 years. As our nation’s Capitol battles the coronavirus, SOME remains dedicated to ensuring that DC’s most vulnerable residents receive the care and services they need, while also making the necessary adjustments to prevent the spread of the virus and adhere to recommendations from the CDC and the DC Department of Health and Human Services.
In order to continue to support those who rely on our services, SOME is continuously working to:
- Continue to provide two meals a day through the distribution of hot, to-go breakfasts and bagged lunches from our Dining Room.
- Take patients on a walk-in basis in our medical clinic.
- Provide telehealth appointments for clients who need routine medical or mental health consultations, chronic disease management, and medication refills.
- Encourage e-learning and provide necessary equipment for any student who needs it in CET or SOME’s Family Housing to successfully complete their courses.
- Ensure that residents across our housing programs have access to food and household • supplies they need to keep themselves and their families healthy.
- Facilitate daily conference calls for those who attend our Senior Center day program and senior residents in any SOME program to encourage virtual socialization and reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness.
“As the virus continues to spread and local unemployment is rising, the continued availability of our services has become even more important, said President Boyd. “The people we serve are the most vulnerable and more likely to contract the virus and for the likelihood of severe consequences. While we cannot know what the future holds, SOME will continue to serve.”
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About SOME
SOME (So Others Might Eat) is an interfaith, community-based service organization that exists to help and support residents of our nation’s capital experiencing homelessness and poverty. SOME helps meet immediate daily needs by providing food, clothing, and healthcare to those in need. In addition, SOME offers a variety of services, including affordable housing, counseling, addiction treatment, and job training, designed to help our most vulnerable neighbors find pathways out of poverty and achieve long-term stability and success.