ABOUT THE HONOREE

Patricia Shea

Patricia Shea is the founder and longtime director of MOMMAS House. A graduate of St. John's University and the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Work, Shea has devoted more than forty years to social services, community advocacy, and family-centered support.

Her career began in foster care, working directly with vulnerable children and families. In 1970, she founded the Long Island chapter of the national Birthright organization. Through this work, she recognized the urgent need for safe housing for pregnant and parenting young mothers. Over a decade, her own family housed eighteen young women before the grassroots effort that became MOMMAS House formally opened its doors in 1986.

Under Shea's leadership, MOMMAS House has grown into a model program, now operating multiple residences across Long Island and offering comprehensive supports including case management, parenting guidance, educational and vocational training, and independent-living skill development. Her decades of experience in social work, pregnancy support, and foster care have shaped the organization's holistic, mission-driven approach to helping mothers rebuild their lives. A lifelong community advocate, Shea has served on numerous boards and committees, shaping social services throughout L.I. and has been recognized with too many awards to mention.

Her lifelong commitment to service remains the driving force behind her vision for expanding MOMMAS House into vital programming - all designed to give young mothers the opportunity to build secure futures for themselves and their children. With her model, MOMMAS House has long been a place of respite and renewal for the thousands of women and children who have passed through its doors - homes built on love, one brick and one heart at a time.