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Community Corner

Aberdeen Business Woman Focuses on Harford County Homeless

Lisa Fuller, insurance agent, lends her voice to Harford Family House, an organization which helps Harford County Homeless rebuild their lives.

Lisa Fuller, of Fuller and Associates Insurance, e-mailed the Harford Family House in Aberdeen a couple of years ago to try to pitch her insurance products. Instead, she was sold on the work the organization is doing on behalf of Harford County's homeless community. 

Once she met Joyce Duffy, Executive Director of Harford Family House, the two knew they would be working together.

“I asked her if she would come in and speak with me," said Duffy. "When I told her what we did she got very excited and wanted to know how she could help.”

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Fuller never planned to be an advocate, she explained, but now has become a spokeswoman, fundraiser and cheerleader for a cause that often goes unnoticed. In her own way, she makes history in the lives of some who are less fortunate through her volunteer work. 

“It sounded like a great opportunity to help people,” said Fuller. “They’re teaching the families to understand financial counseling, counseling to move forward to move on and be successful.”

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When Harford Family House helps out a family, said Fuller, they set them up in a fully furnished apartment and give them a week’s worth of food, along with counseling so that it’s “hand up not a handout.”

Although Fuller is able to help many families through her work, she still believes there’s a need for greater efforts.

“I’m very happy for the families that I can help,” said Fuller. “But I’m more worried about the families that I can’t.”

“I feel like I’m limited in the amount of people I reach,” she added.

But Duffy said Fuller does an excellent job of spreading the news.

“She is a voice for us in the community,” Duffy said and that is one of the greatest challenges. According to Duffy, the Harford Family House struggles to compete for community attention with more nationally known organizations.

“Lisa is the confident networker,” said Duffy. “She constantly networks for her business and she never fails to tell people about Harford Family House’s mission.”

She puts together and helps out with fundraiser events, said Duffy.

Fuller said her most memorable volunteer opportunity was the first time she helped with the Spring Fling, an annual fundraiser event that Harford Family House runs. The event is full of food, fun and people.

 “There were all different people…just people, some not involved in business, some involved in business, families who wanted to participate, church members,” said Fuller, full of excitement at the memory.

Harford Family House, said Fuller, needs “people who are willing to devote time and money and effort.”

Harford Family House is currently in need of contractors who could donate skills to update the apartments provided to homeless families, said Fuller, always eager to spread the word.

Although Harford Family House has received enough to help some families, the organization doesn't have enough  help them all, Fuller said.

Fuller said the great thing about working with the Harford Family House is knowing the impact she has had on the community.

“Every business owner should have a charity that they can support,” Fuller said.

(Editor's note: Aberdeen Patch will celebrate Women's History Month by running a series on female history makers in Aberdeen and Harford County. Feature stories will run on Saturdays during March. Want to suggest a subject? E-mail Mark.Tyler@patch.com)

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