SM Program 5x9-SPREAD SAMPLE - Flipbook - Page 9
A M OV I N G A F FA I R 2 0 2 5 – E V E N I N G P R O G R A M
LETTER FROM KEYNOTE SPEAKER
PA U LO L E O N E
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of volunteering for many
incredible causes — each one meaningful, each one driven by a
desire to better our world, and each one shaping the man I am
today. But when I found Shelter Movers, I didn’t just find another
organization to serve. I found home.
As a survivor of domestic violence, I know what it feels like to be
trapped — to live in fear and uncertainty, and to long for a way out.
That’s why I understand, in my bones, the critical role that Shelter
Movers plays. They don’t just move belongings, they move lives.
They give survivors like my mother and I the chance to reclaim their
dignity, their safety, and, most importantly, their confidence that
life’s worth living.
Tonight’s A Moving Affair is a celebration of that transformation —
of what becomes possible when a community chooses to care and
steps forward to let you know you are not alone. In my experience,
people don’t often speak of pain, share our discomfort, or expose
our vulnerability — but we do show up to help. Every dollar raised,
every item bid on, and every moment shared in this room holds the
power to move someone or some family from fear to freedom.
And so, from the deepest part of my heart, thank you. Thank you
for showing up, in a world that asks so much of you already. Thank
you for choosing empathy, in a time when generosity feels harder
than ever. And most of all, thank you for reminding us, through
your presence tonight, that this much needed movement doesn’t
end here. It begins with us.
Now let’s have an amazing night. We all deserve it.
With love,
Paulo Leone
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