Yvonne Topping, Community Bridge Builder

I am very excited to have the opportunity to be on staff at Good Shepherd as Community Bridge Builder. I have spent most of my life in Massachusetts except for several years in Ohio where my husband, Richard, was stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base during the Vietnam War. I was an Elementary school teacher for three years and then became a stay at home Mom with five children. I reentered education as a part-time Title One teacher and had the best of both worlds. I was home for my children and able to pursue a personal goal of teaching at-risk students. I became passionate about teaching Literacy. I had the privilege of becoming a Reading Recovery Teacher, which was an empowering experience. I began to learn how to really teach children how to read. Then I earned my Master’s Degree at age fifty, which was both challenging and a tremendous personal achievement.

I retired in 2010 after being a Reading Specialist in Westborough for fourteen years. Before I had time to feel the loss of teaching I was given this opportunity to serve at Good Shepherd. I love being part of this community because we are inclusive. Everyone is welcome to experience God’s grace and love. My goal is to connect people inside and outside the church to each other and to God, whose love is unconditional.