Always Home Welcomes New Board Members

Always Home is excited to share that Margarida Martins-Querido and Mark Gold have been elected to its volunteer Board of Directors.

Margarida Martins-Querido is a Connecticut and Rhode Island Realtor with Century 21 Shutters & Sails, and an active community leader in Southeastern Connecticut. Her commitment to housing and community service is deeply personal, shaped by her family’s experience leaving economic and political oppression in search of stability, opportunity, and a better future. In addition to her real estate career, Margarida serves as President of OpSail Connecticut and is involved with several local organizations focused on community, youth, military families, and economic opportunity, including The Riverfront Children's Center, Norwich Rotary Club, and the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut’s Military Affairs Council.

Mark Gold is a retired attorney who practiced for more than 50 years in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, advising businesses and nonprofit organizations on governance, strategic planning, and organizational challenges. In 1988, he co-founded Louison House, an organization providing shelter and support services to homeless and at-risk individuals and families, and served as its first President. Mark has held numerous nonprofit leadership positions, including Chair of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and board member of Community Legal Aid. Most recently, he co-founded and served as the first President of Second Street Second Chances, an organization helping formerly incarcerated individuals successfully reenter their communities.

“Margarida and Mark bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and community engagement to Always Home," said Tricia Cunningham, Always Home’s Executive Director. “Both are passionate about our mission, Preventing Family Homelessness, and the Board and I look forward to the many ways they will contribute to the future growth and ongoing stability of our organization."

Stepping down from the Board is Reverend Dr. Lonnie Brown (Senior Minister, Union Baptist Church, Mystic). Always Home’s Board and staff extend their heartfelt gratitude to Reverend Brown for his 8 years of dedication and leadership.

About Always Home

Always Home is a private 501(C)3) non-profit formed in 1998 to address the needs of Eastern Connecticut's homeless and at-risk families. As the region's leading service provider focused exclusively on serving families with minor children, Always Home offers case management support and access to the emergency services families need to establish housing stability. Always Home is also an integral part of Connecticut’s homelessness response system, serving as a designated Family HUB for the 211/Eastern Coordinated Access Network (ECAN). In Fiscal Year 2026, Always Home helped 603 families (1,956 family members including 1,135 minor children) navigate their housing crisis.