Eileen McNerney

Sister Eileen McNerney is an active member of her congregation and currently works as part of the Center for Spirituality. She founded Hope Builders in 1995. In 2006, she was awarded the James Irvine Foundation’s Leadership Award for her innovative and effective solutions in addressing significant issues in the state of California.

A talented painter, writer, and public speaker, Sister Eileen has also focused on giving a voice to a forgotten population. Sister Eileen is the author of two books, one of which, A Story of Suffering and Hope: Lessons from Latino Youth (Paulist Press, 2005), chronicles her dogged determination to find what it takes to walk wounded young people out of poverty.