Treehouse Foundation

09/02/2026

Treehouse is celebrating its 20th year, and to mark the occasion, we're spotlighting 20 people who've shaped who we are along the way.

First up is Yael Petretti, whose nearly 15-year journey with Treehouse began with a weekend workshop.

In early 2010, Yael was living in Jerusalem, where she'd spent 30 years working as a tour guide. When a friend invited her to fly to Easthampton to teach a compassionate listening workshop for Treehouse staff, she thought she'd be visiting for a weekend. Instead, she fell in love with the community. She went back to Jerusalem just long enough to pack up her life.

She moved in as a resident first, enjoying intergenerational living at Treehouse for about two years before joining the staff as volunteer coordinator. From there, her role kept expanding to fill whatever the community needed: donor acknowledgments, community tours, event setup, and — of course — a biweekly compassionate listening group she's led since 2001.

When we asked Yael what tied together her time in Jerusalem, her work at Treehouse, and everything in between, she pointed to something Carl Jung once said: the first fairy tale that comes to mind when you're asked is a clue to what you value most. Her answer: bringing people together. In Medieval England, a girl is living in a walled city where everyone fears a dragon that lives in a cage outside the gates. Instead of hiding, the girl goes to meet the dragon, discovers he's simply lonely and misunderstood, and brings him home.

That instinct shows up everywhere in Yael's life. At Treehouse, with kids healing from trauma and older adults finding new purpose. In her advocacy for compassionate listening. In the men's prison where she's volunteered for over a decade. Wherever she goes, Yael makes room for people who deserve love, care, and support.

"My energy goes into trying to support a system that helps them heal and thrive," she says.

We recently received the bittersweet news that Yael has decided to retire as of this summer. We wish you a retirement as full and generous as the life you've built here. 🧡

Stay tuned. More 20 for 20 stories are on the way.

08/27/2026

🎙️ New podcast episode!

What does it really take to help young people feel like they belong—not just in college, but in the systems and communities around them?

In the newest episode of our INNOVATE! podcast, host Angela Tucker sits down with Greta Munns, a Re-Envisioning Foster Care Champion, to talk about building belonging, centering lived expertise, and creating meaningful opportunities for young people with foster care experience to lead and shape change.

From youth advisory councils to college support programs, Greta shares what happens when we stop simply inviting young people to the table and start trusting them to help build it.

🎧 Listen to “Building Belonging Beyond Campus” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1885968/episodes/19705646-s04e04-building-belonging-beyond-campus?t=0

What does it take to help students with foster care experience not just enroll in college, but truly thrive? Greta Munns, Fostering Success Program Liaison at the University of Wisconsin–Stout, shares how creating a culture of belonging can transf...

08/26/2026

Meet Mary, a Treehouse community member who went back to college last semester, decades after she first left school.

Mary walked into her first class expecting to be the oldest person in the room. She didn't expect how quickly her classmates, many young enough to be her grandchildren, would start to feel like friends. Before long, she had earned an affectionate nickname: "Grandma."

And she quickly discovered she had plenty to learn from them, too.
"It made going back so easy," Mary says. "The kids really made it so that I looked forward to going."

That kind of connection across generations isn't new to Mary. She grew up in a multigenerational household, with three generations under one roof and a wide circle of great-aunts, uncles and cousins. It's part of what drew her to Treehouse, where she says she has "five-plus grandchildren" between her own family and the neighborhood kids she's watched grow up.

Now she's bringing that same spirit into the classroom at Holyoke Community College where she's working toward a certificate in Human Services.

Her goal is to graduate in 2028—the same year that one of her granddaughters graduates from high school. They've already made a deal: Mary will be at her granddaughter's graduation, and her granddaughter will be at Mary's.

Two generations. Two graduations. One very good reason to keep learning.

To students of all ages: Happy back-to-school season from Treehouse.

07/28/2026

One boat. Neighbors of all ages. A whole lot of fun. 🚢☀️

Our Connecticut River cruise was the perfect summer afternoon—great views, great conversations, and plenty of laughter shared across generations.

Bringing older adults, youth, and neighbors together in unexpected ways is what makes moments like these uniquely Treehouse. 🌳

Thanks to everyone who joined us. We can’t wait for the next adventure!

07/23/2026

Ready to support an innovative model of intergenerational community care?

We have two exciting opportunities to work alongside children who have experienced foster care, their families, and older adults in our Easthampton community.

🌳 Program Director – Lead our Intergenerational Support Team and shape innovative, trauma-informed programs that strengthen our community.

🌳 Intergenerational Support Specialist – Support children, families, and older adults through relationship-centered, trauma-informed programming that helps every generation thrive.

Learn more at https://www.treehousefoundation.org/careers/

We're partnering with NRG Consulting Group on this search. Please direct any questions to [email protected].

Treehouse: at the intersection of foster care innovation, affordable housing, and vibrant aging. Engaging adults 55+ to support children and youth who experience foster care.

07/14/2026

Welcome Maura Geary, our new Director of Institutional Giving!

Maura brings an impressive background in non-profit leadership, partnerships, public funding and development together with a personal connection to child welfare – her own family having grown through foster care.

After graduate study in public policy at UMass, including a capstone project focused on child welfare and foster care, Maura has spent the better part of her career in workforce development, including a strong focus on early childhood education as part of the equation. As Treehouse embarks on the expansion of our mission across New England, we welcome Maura’s focus, expertise and dedication.

A native of Massachusetts now living in Easthampton, Maura (here with her dog Abby) has recently discovered her inner golfer, a new sporting passion she adds to her devotion to the WNBA. But her truest reward is being the parent of young adults – cheering them on as they find their own paths.

07/01/2026

After 18 years enriching children’s lives, it was time for the Jim Mulhern Forever Families Fund to wind down, and founder Barbara Caparell (photo left) was determined to find a good home for the organization’s remaining resources.

She found Treehouse.

Established in honor of Barbara’s late husband, the Fund supported countless families formed through adoption. When Barbara visited Treehouse Easthampton, she could feel the alignment, energy, and community.

"What drew us to Treehouse was the intentional intergenerational neighborhood, their incredibly unique and sustainable model."

One moment in particular stopped her in her tracks: a memorial tree, hung with keepsakes belonging to elders who had passed—a place where neighbors go to remember. "That's how our community should be," she said.

As Treehouse Easthampton celebrates 20 years, Barbara's gift reflects one legacy extending another. We were glad to celebrate this moment at our most recent Runway 5K. Barbara is pictured here with Treehouse CEO Erika Kuester and Linda Sternfelt, former Treasurer of the Fund.

We are deeply grateful to Barbara and the entire board of the Jim Mulhern Forever Families Fund.

06/24/2026

School's out for the summer! Congratulations to students, teachers, caregivers, parents, grandparents, and everyone who made this school year chock-full of learning, support, friendship, and connection. Another one in the books!

We also want to give a special shout-out to all the high school graduates out there. Thanks in part to the intergenerational support at Treehouse, 95% of our foster youth graduate high school — almost double the rate for most kids in foster care. That's worth celebrating.

Now it's time for a well-deserved break. Whether you're at the pool, working a summer job or reading your favorite books or comics. Enjoy the summer 🌞

06/19/2026

Today, as we observe Juneteenth, we're remembering a former Treehouse resident, Marcia.

She was quite ill this past Juneteenth. Although she would normally have taken an active role in the celebration, she just didn’t have the energy. But Marcia was still committed to showing up.

She decided to read "Juneteenth for Mazie" to a group of neighborhood children, parents, and older adults.

It only took a few minutes, but the impact was real: the story of June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and finally delivered the news of freedom to more than 250,000 enslaved people—two and a half years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, and two months after the Civil War ended.

We can still hear Marcia reading: “They worked hard to make a better life. They prayed and sang some more. And they marched for equal rights. They marched for a better tomorrow."

Those kids probably didn't know it then, but Marcia gave them a piece of history and hope they'd carry with them.

Today we encourage you to reflect on the weight of that history, celebrate the progress made toward justice and equality, and to participate as a loving, interconnected member of your community.

06/15/2026

This Pride Month, we're celebrating the three generations who make our community inclusive, vibrant, and connected.

🏳️‍🌈 The LGBTQ+ children who are overrepresented in foster care and deserve homes where they're seen and loved.

🏳️‍🌈 The LGBTQ+ parents who open their hearts and homes through fostering.

🏳️‍🌈 The LGBTQ+ older adults, many of whom face isolation and instability.

Across each of these generations and experiences, one thing makes the difference: a supportive, open, and accepting community.

To all of the LGBTQ+ individuals and allies who make Treehouse, the Commonwealth, and our world more supportive: thank you. Happy Pride!