By Angela Guarino Sawaya, Ward 5 City Councilor
On a quiet, rainy Saturday evening, my colleague Joanne McKenna felt a sudden urge to step outside. There was nothing unusual about the weather—just steady rain and stillness. But what she discovered in her backyard was anything but ordinary.
Lying in a shallow puddle was a hawk. At first, Joanne feared the worst—it appeared lifeless. But as she leaned in to lift it, the hawk stirred. It was alive, injured, and in need of help.
Joanne didn’t hesitate. She brought the hawk inside, dried it off, and made a place for it to rest safely overnight. With no wildlife training or clear answers, she acted from pure compassion and instinct. That same night, she reached out to Lisa Cutting—well known in our community for her work with animals. Lisa walked her through initial steps of care and connected her with the right support.and Shawn Reilly a DCR ranger. She was told to bring her to Tufts in Grafton.
Joanne then drove the hawk to Grafton, hoping it could be saved. The early signs were promising: the hawk was alert and moving. The hope was that it had sustained injuries to its legs—not its spine—giving it a chance at healing and returning to the tree in her yard in Revere where his family has been
In public service, we often talk about responsibility, commitment, and care. Joanne demonstrated all of that—not in a meeting or at a podium—but in a quiet moment with a vulnerable, beautiful creature in need. Her actions speak to who she is at her core.
This story isn’t just about a hawk—it’s about listening to your instincts, acting with heart, and doing the right thing even when no one’s watching. Joanne gave that hawk a chance. And in doing so, she reminded all of us what real compassion looks like.
