March 20, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Newton native Hannah Lodi running Boston Marathon to raise money to battle
homelessness

BOSTON – Hannah Lodi grew up watching the Boston Marathon every year as a curbside spectator in
her native Newton. This year, she will be on the other side of the curb, running in her first-ever marathon
to raise money for the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership (MBHP), an affordable housing and
homelessness prevention organization serving Greater Boston.

Lodi is one of four runners that make up Team MBHP, all running the historic race to support the
organization’s programs. Thanks to the generous donation of entries to MBHP by John Hancock
Financial Services, Lodi and her teammates will run the 116th Boston Marathon while drawing attention
to and supporting affordable housing and services for those most at risk of homelessness.

Before volunteering to raise funds for Team MBHP, Lodi, who works as a program representative for
MBHP, never thought of herself as a runner. In fact, Lodi had never run more than six miles in one
stretch. Thankfully, she has a terrific training program, and just as important, the stubborn will to get into
marathon shape.

“When I get an idea in my head, I always follow through,” says Lodi, “I’m a little nervous, but I feel like
I can do it. I’ll be prepared. There’s such a great training regimen that’s been set up for me.” Lodi has
already built up her training to approximate the length and severity of the prestigious course.

It also helps that she is running for something she truly believes in-her work at MBHP. “I’m really so
directly invested in my work, so it’s great to be able to see the connection between the money raised and
the programs that it will support,” says Lodi.

To date, Lodi has reached the midway point of her fundraising goal of $5,000. To learn more about Team
MBHP, and to help Lodi reach her goal, go to the 2012 Marathon page under the “How to Help” button
on MBHP’s website www.mbhp.org, or go directly to the team’s fundraising site at
www.crowdrise.com/2012teammbhp. You can also find out more by contacting MBHP Communications
Manager Christopher Blagg at (617) 425-6691 or christopher.blagg@mbh.org.

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MBHP is the state’s largest regional provider of rental housing voucher assistance. We serve homeless,
elderly, disabled, and low- and moderate-income individuals and families. Our region spans Boston and
29 surrounding communities: Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Braintree Brookline, Burlington, Cambridge,
Chelsea, Everett, Lexington, Lynn, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Milton, Newton, North Reading, Quincy,
Reading, Revere, Somerville, Stoneham, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Wilmington, Winchester,
Winthrop and Woburn.

Our mission is to ensure that the region’s low- and moderate-income individuals and families have choice
and mobility in finding and retaining decent affordable housing; all of our programs and initiatives are
designed to encourage housing stability, increase economic self-sufficiency, and enhance quality of the
lives of those we serve. To achieve our mission and to promote efficient service delivery, we work
collaboratively with a broad array of service providers and neighborhood-based organizations.

We believe that everyone deserves a place to call home.

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