Siobhan McHugh of Brighton will be honored on Wednesday, June 24 in a virtual celebration as a member of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women’s 2020 class of Commonwealth Heroines. State Senator Will Brownsberger recommended Ms. McHugh for this recognition because of her lifelong commitment to passionately serving her community. 

Siobhan McHugh became a member of the Brighton community in 1989. Fueled by the belief that parents should model community engagement behavior for their children, she began volunteering in the community when her two adult children were young. Her community impact efforts include volunteering at the Oak Square YMCA, establishing Taste of Brighton at the Irish Immigration Center, managing the PAL soccer league, coaching various sports teams, serving on various youth council sites, and serving on various boards for community organizations serving Brighton, including on the Faneuil Library Board and the Presentation School Foundation Board. In addition, Siobhan has run a home daycare center in the community for the last 23 years. She is proud to have passed her commitment to community down to her children, who have also become avid community volunteers. Siobhan firmly believes that community involvement makes a community stronger. 

“Siobhan McHugh is a force of nature — her contributions to the community are evident everywhere,” said Senator Brownsberger. 

The Commonwealth Heroines are women who don’t make the news, but make the difference. Thousands of women in every community of the state perform unheralded acts on a daily basis that make our homes, neighborhoods, cities, and towns better places to live. Commonwealth Heroines use their time, talent, spirit, and enthusiasm to enrich the lives of others in their community. They are mentors, volunteers, and innovators who strive to protect and represent the interests of seniors, victims of violence, children, immigrants, and other vulnerable populations. They are the glue that keeps a community together.

“Community is important, neighborhoods are stronger when we all get involved in our local organizations,” said Ms. McHugh. “Your time makes a community stronger. Make an impact, get out there. Volunteer.”

The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women is an independent state agency that was legislatively created in 1998 to advance women of the Commonwealth to full equality in all areas of life and to promote their rights and opportunities. The MCSW provides a permanent, effective voice for the women of Massachusetts.