Meet Our Team
Pamela Burner, President and Founder
Each night I would gratefully get into my nice warm bed. I would think of the people out on the streets in the cold, I prayed that the situation would change, I heard news reports of the situation getting worse, I prayed and watched for about three years and nothing seemed to change, so I decided to change. I asked New Life Community Church for a room to use and invited like minded people to come to the table to discuss what we could do. HIS Coalition was born! I am grateful for the dedicated people who chose to walk this path, who have a heart for the homeless. Praise God!
Maureen Graziano, Vice President and Co-founder
I am a native Long Islander where I reside with my husband and two daughters. I am an Adjunct Clinical Nursing Instructor at Stony Brook University and currently serve as a Deacon at New Life Community Church in Sayville. I also enjoy co-leading the church's mission committee and volunteering in the local community. Seeing the many injustices and barriers that the un-housed face, God put it on my heart to raise awareness and help the homeless in our local community.
"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me"-Matthew 25:40
Amanda Sanford, MSW, Recording Secretary
"I am a recent graduate of Stony Brook University's Master of Social Work program. Through my studies, I developed an interest in housing access, and through my experiences interning for the Patchogue-Medford Library, I was able to put names and faces to the statistics on homelessness that I had learned about in my classes.
My interests and passion led me to be introduced to Pam and Maureen in January of 2023. We connected over our shared vision of developing a transitional tiny home village for the homeless and I haven't looked back since. In addition to volunteering with HIS, I also work for St. Joseph's University in Patchogue, and as a life-long resident of Patchogue, I am passionate about making change in my community. The number of individuals experiencing street homelessness on Long Island is nothing short of alarming. No one should have to live unsheltered, and alongside Pam, Maureen, and the wonderful members of HIS, I plan to continue working toward achieving more equitable and dignified shelter access for those experiencing homelessness."
Chris Pellegrino, Board Member
Chris Pellegrino is a dedicated advocate and nonprofit strategist with a heart for service. With over 18 years in the nonprofit sector, Chris has worked intensively with both homeless families and individuals. In addition, she has worked with formerly homeless families through and aftercare program she piloted at the request of Suffolk County Department of Social Services.
Chris has been an active member of a local SPA committee (Shelter Providers Association) as well as an active member of the CoC (Continuum of Care) in both Suffolk County NY and Gaston/Cleveland/Lincoln County, NC. Currently Chris is the Program Director for a not-for-profit agency, Pathways to Recovery, under her leadership the agency provides emergency housing and intensive case management services while promoting self-sufficiency and fostering civic responsibility.
Tanja Ilic, Ph.D., Director of Development
I found my path with HIS Coalition for the Homeless, an organization that combines my desire to work with a faith-based community and a mission to support those unhoused. This cause resonates deeply with me, and I feel blessed to be part of a team driven by shared values of compassion, gratitude, and purpose.
With a Ph.D. in Applied Organizational Psychology from Hofstra University and over nine years of experience in HR consulting, I bring a strategic perspective to my role. When I joined HIS, I was humbled by the commitment of those already involved, and I’m grateful to have found my place in fundraising. It’s my hope that my contributions will help raise essential funds and awareness, supporting HIS Coalition in providing resources for the unsheltered.
I am honored to be surrounded by people who share this vision and look forward to continuing our work together. Through our efforts, I believe we can bring hope, dignity, and shelter to those facing homelessness.
Brother Mark D'Alessio, Board Member
The Rt. Rev. Br. Mark D’Alessio is a Franciscan friar and the founder of the interfaith community of the Companions of Francis and Clare. He’s also a spiritual director, Christian bishop and priest, ordained lay Buddhist minister, chaplain, retreat leader, author, crisis counselor for the homeless, and past president and executive director of the Psychotherapy & Spirituality Institute, which draws together the inspiration of the church with the wisdom of psychological care. A graduate of The Guild for Spiritual Guidance, founded by Henri Nouwen and Madeline L’Engle, Br. Mark is a community leader and adjunct faculty member, and recently led Pilgrimages to Iona and Assisi.
An interspiritual pilgrim, Br. Mark is also a faculty member at All Faiths Seminary International for the training of interfaith ministers. He’s ordained into multiple spiritual lineages, both East (Zen Buddhist, Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing) and West (Christian/Franciscan, the Companions of Francis and Clare); and, as a long- time seeker and practitioner of spiritual wisdom does his best to affirm the Christian Wisdom tradition within a wider inter-spiritual framework.
He has taught, lectured, and led retreats in the US and abroad, including the Wild Goose Festival, Fundação Brasil Criativo, International Leadership Association, Emergence/Paris, Harvard Club, State University of New York, Sarah Lawrence College, Little Portion Friary, The Mercer School of Theology, Guild for Spiritual Guidance, All Faiths Seminary International, and Wisdom House Retreat and Conference Center.
As a Buddhist, Br. Mark (dharma name: “True Light of Understanding”) recognizes that the transformation of the world begins with his own transformation, and seeks to change himself and society in the direction of compassion and understanding by living a joyful and mindful life.
As a Franciscan, he is especially committed to serving those who are sidelined and at risk. Moving to Long Island, he founded the Franciscan Circle, a diverse interfaith gathering of clergy and lay people who seek to journey in mind and heart with the witness and wisdom of the saints of Assisi, Francis and Clare. The Circle is now a nationwide community and is dedicated to developing leaders for thoughtful social action and spiritual care.
The Long Island Coalition for the Homeless recently awarded Br. Mark with their “Unsung Hero” Award.
Prior to religious life, Br. Mark was a successful business consultant. He had his own agency with offices in New York and Paris that assisted global and US corporations with how to manage change and foster increased innovation. In part, he helped encourage organizational development; create innovative programs, brands, and products; and, train government officials, corporate executives, managers, inventors, artists, educators, community activists, and clergy in how to manage change, lead intuitively and strategically, and uncover their own unexpected solutions. He was named to Who’s Who in Marketing and his studies in applied imagination, leadership, philosophy, psychology, semiotics, religion and theater contributed to a unique approach. Br. Mark has also served on numerous boards of non-profit organizations in politics, the arts, spirituality, and human rights.
HIS Coalition for the Homeless is a New York non-profit, incorporated on May 24, 2022. HIS Coalition for the Homeless has received recognition of tax exempt status under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. EIN# 88-2678576. Our organization is run solely by volunteers and 100% of donations go toward helping our neighbors in need.
