Lynn Murphy
Class of 2026
Lynn Murphy was born in Salem, Massachusetts which she holds as a point of pride. Her father was a native Bostonian with the accent to prove it. When she was just under two years old, her parents packed up Lynn and her two siblings, and they moved to Huntington, Long Island, a lovely spot forty miles east of Manhattan with beautiful beaches and a less beautiful accent.
Lynn’s mother had cerebral palsy, as well as a significant hearing impairment. There was a lot that she could not do like drive, ride a bike, move quickly or climb anything other than a set of stairs. But, there was far more that she could do. She spoke French, was a literature major at Vassar, read non-stop, and when Lynn begged, played kickball with her in the backyard. She taught Lynn how to take the bus at a very young age, and that walking was a perfectly fine way to get around.
Lynn’s father was around and drove, but her mother essentially took care of all three kids, and her transportation needs. As such, she was Lynn’s role model for self-sufficiency and toughness.
When Lynn was in high school her father got cancer which led to a five-year battle that he ultimately lost when she was a senior at Columbia. Five years after her father died, her mother came down with a very aggressive type of leukemia and died at the age of 61. It was awful at the time, but it has become even harder as Lynn gets older now that her mother is not here to share her life with her.
She went to public schools for her entire K-12 education and loved the diversity that it provided. She loved school and did well, but what she really loved were sports; anything that involved competition, running, balls and teamwork captured her attention. Soccer was her true love, and it helped her get accepted to Columbia University where she played all four years on the Women’s Varsity Team and was the team captain her junior and senior years. It was heaven. She was living in New York City, surrounded by brilliant people, and playing a sport that she loved.
This was all fabulous, but when she graduated, she was not sure what she wanted to do. However, Lynn knew that she wanted to help people. She knew that she needed to be part of a team, because all of her life she had been involved in teams. So, her natural next course of action? Move to Los Angeles and become a stunt woman.
However, Lynn ended up pursuing teaching and coaching soccer in Los Angeles. It was a great first career that lasted thirteen years, but she came to realize that her real love was helping people figure out what drives them, what holds them back, and what they want to do with their lives. She also grew through her own therapy– so much so that she decided to pursue that as a career. So, she went back to grad school to get her Masters in Counseling Psychology as well as her license in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Thus began her connection to the YWCA and the San Rafael Police Department. Lynn’s first internship during grad school was at SRPD working with the Youth Service Bureau. She worked with at-risk youth including those involved in the juvenile justice system. She further fell in love with her career and continued to work with kids who newly immigrated to the US and kids who struggled with a myriad of challenges teenagers face. Lynn also mediated couples therapy, individual therapy and family therapy all at SRPD.
After getting her masters, her first paying job was at the YWCA in Marin. She continued to work at two Marin high schools– again working with at-risk youth. She found it to be a beautiful blending of her love of teaching and therapeutic support.
After three years at the YWCA, Lynn was contacted by her old supervisor at SRPD. She told Lynn that the department was creating a new clinical position that would be focused on working with people experiencing homelessness. Though Lynn didn’t have any experience working with that specific population, her experience working with at-risk youth made her perfect for the job. Lynn began the role in 2013, and continues to work there to this day.
This role has been an honor and a joy. Lynn has learned so much from people she has worked with, and has bore witness to acts of kindness that she deeply cherishes. She’s also learned some of the hard truths that many of the unhoused population have to live– like how many women wear two pairs of pants to make it harder for potential attackers to undress them. Kitty litter in a box can make for an impromptu toilet at a campsite. A blow torch can warm a meal quickly. Not having an address keeps you from getting a telephone, a bank account, and mail.
Lynn has also learned so much from her teammates and colleagues at SRPD. The job of law enforcement is not easy, and she has seen first-hand the challenges police officers face. The City of San Rafael and the SRPD deserve high praise for having the foresight to create my position, being the only city in Marin County to have a mental health liaison. It shows the compassion leaders have for those who do not have the resources many others in Marin have.
Lynn’s role is to connect with people on the street, hear their stories, and bear witness to their experiences. Of course, helping with actual physical resources is part of her role as well, but the most valuable thing she can offer is her skills of listening, validating and supporting people in their journeys.
This job has humbled her, and has also been a big influence on her own family. Her three kids have grown up watching her in this role. They came to Thanksgiving dinner at St. Vincent de Paul’s dining room and shared a meal with what Lynn calls “her people.” It has made them more understanding and compassionate for those who face daily challenges in order to survive. Her children have gotten to know some of the folks she works with and that warms her heart.
One of her proudest accomplishments is starting Seeds of Hope alongside her colleague, Charis Baz. During COVID, people on the street were feeling especially isolated because so many of the normal places to connect were closed: coffee shops, St. Vinnie’s Dining Room, social services, etc. So, Lynn and Charis decided to bring activities to the Service Support Area, a sanctioned camp under the freeway in San Rafael. The two found volunteers to teach meditation, arts and crafts, drumming, and a caterer to bring hot meals to the camp. They came together and built a community. One of the men living at the site told Lynn that doing these activities gave him seeds of hope for the future. She and Charis loved this, and it spurred them to launch a quarterly service fair and luncheon for people in need. This event has grown from a few volunteers to a well oiled machine called Seeds of Hope, involving dozens of service providers, community volunteers, an incredible catered lunch, and personal services like haircuts, massage and acupuncture. Seeds of hope serve hundreds of people at each event and are at the point of having to turn away new providers because they are running out of space! Not only is this bringing resources to the people, but building connections between housed community members who are yearning to help and those who are still unhoused.
Lynn brings this honor back to her mother. She was a warrior for social justice and was a role model for standing up for what you believe in. She would be so proud to witness the journey Lynn has taken and Lynn would like to thank her for being the human that she was.
