Harry and Marisa

When Harry Met Marisa

United in a spirit of community action, Harry and Marisa met, volunteered, and began their romance at SEARCH Homeless Services.

Harry and Marisa met for the first time in September, 1996.  As friends they worked side-by-side serving meals in SEARCH’s kitchen.  As Thanksgiving approached, Harry and Marisa were both drawn to serve the homeless at the city-wide Thanksgiving Feast.  They volunteered together, and afterwards Marisa invited Harry to a get-together with her friends.  Love was in the air, and in the kitchen.  Fast-forward to the next summer when Marisa visited Harry who was in Israel at the time.  While backpacking Harry took the opportunity to propose at sunset in the old city of Yafa.  The two were happily married in January 1998.

Volunteering at SEARCH remained a priority to Harry and Marisa as they began their life together.  Marisa continues to arrange clothing and food drives that benefit SEARCH through her work.  They have also instilled in their children the same spirit of volunteerism.  Harry and Marisa’s daughters chose SEARCH when they have the chance to pick a service opportunity.  Their oldest daughter even asked if she could incorporate SEARCH into her Bat Mitzvah – choosing to collect items to donate to SEARCH instead of extravagant floral decorations.

Marisa says that she has stayed so dedicated to SEARCH because of the mission: to provide hope, create opportunities and transform lives.  She doesn’t like the idea of putting a band-aid on something; instead, get at the root of the issue and help people regain their independence and live a fulfilling life.  SEARCH strives to meet people where they are, and in doing so, even sparked a romance.