Fireside Resident Honored for Volunteerism

Longtime Marin resident Tabitha Hurt says local affordable housing organizations allowed her to stay in Marin. Now she’s returning the favor.

Hurt, who lives at the at the southern end of unincorporated Mill Valley, was honored by a local affordable housing organizations for own efforts in advocating for affordable housing in Marin.

Live Local Marin recognized Hurt as its Volunteer of the Year for writing letters testifying at public hearings and actively sharing her own experience with homelessness and the lack of affordable housing in Marin. Hurt also volunteers at the Fireside complex to support Homeward Bound programs there.

Hurt, who works at PetCo as a dog groomer, says she was considering leaving Marin because she couldn’t find a place to live that she could afford.

“When we got into The Fireside, I was so happy to stay in Marin,” says Hurt, who moved to Greenbrae as a young child. “I grew up here with family and friends. I was relieved to not be worrying about where we were going to sleep the next night. My son is too young to see for himself now, but when I look in his eyes, I can see a future for all of us.”

Along with Hurt, five organizations and another local residents were honored last month at a banquet at Whistlestop in downtown San Rafael.

They included former San Rafael Mayor Al Boro, affordable housing advocate Stand Up for Neighborly Novato, below-market-rate housing developer Community Land Trust Association of West Marin, EAH Housing, Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco and the League of Women Voters' Transportation, Land Use & Housing Committee, which received a lifetime achievement award for its contributions to housing planning in Marin for five decades.