Lizzie Hurst

Beam’s January installment of our Staff Spotlight series features Beam Project Designer, Lizzie Hurst. In addition to her past work leading projects in partner schools across NYC, Lizzie oversees Beam’s Project Leaders program. Project Leaders is a team of teenagers who design and teach projects to children in after school programs at CAMBA sites and at the Dock Street School. The Project Leaders program is focused on skill development, social-emotional learning, and healing centered programming for both Project Leaders and youth participants.

Outside of her work at Beam, Lizzie is the co-founder and organizer of Crumby Spokes, an annual Valentine's Day fundraiser. Founded five years ago, Crumby Spokes was co-organized by Lizzie and her friend Patrick. Each year, the two organize a group of approximately 25 volunteers who bake and deliver scones and handmade cards to individuals who live across NYC. Deliveries are made by bicycle, and riders dress up in festive Valentine’s Day costumes.

When asked about the purpose of Crumby Spokes, Lizzie says “it is just to spread joy and love on Valentine’s day.” Orders come in every year for friends, family, or even local bus drivers. Lizzie’s mission is to help change what Valentine's Day is all about, because she believes it is a “day that makes a lot of people feel bad;” instead Lizzie would like it to be about “celebrating love and connectivity and interdependence.”

In addition to making and delivering tasty scones, Lizzie and the Crumby Spokes team donate proceeds to local NYC-based organizations. To learn more about this year’s donations or to learn how to order, visit the Crumby Spokes Instagram.

In honor of their fifth anniversary, Lizzie and her team will be launching another fundraiser in March to help people living in other cities start something similar to Crumby Spokes.

Thanks for being part of the Beam Team, Lizzie!