History
On Christmas Eve, 1985, transit police evicted a homeless woman known only as “Mama” from Grand Central Terminal into the freezing cold. The next morning, she entered the Terminal, laid on a bench, and passed away of pneumonia.
Mama was one of the hundreds of homeless people George T. McDonald grew close with over 700 consecutive nights handing out food to those who called the Terminal home. They appreciated his help, but again and again, they told George the same thing: “What I really need is a room and a job to pay for it.”
Mama’s death made George realize that merely providing clothing and food would never create real change. It was in her memory that George founded The Doe Fund, named for the pseudonym authorities used on her death certificate. Together with his wife, Harriet Karr-McDonald — herself moved to action after the death of a homeless girl she had grown close to — they created Ready, Willing & Able to help people rebuild and achieve economic mobility after homelessness and incarceration.
Today, Ready, Willing & Able has helped 30,000 individuals transform their lives. Though George McDonald passed away in 2021, The Doe Fund will continue his vision for generations to come. In 2023, Jennifer Mitchell became the organization’s President & CEO, bringing with her decades of nonprofit leadership in workforce development — including more than a decade developing The Doe Fund’s programs and 13 years as Executive Director of The HOPE Program.
