Gibbs was an abolitionist who helped escaped slaves. In 1850, she moved to East Boston, joined the Maverick Church, and worked as a missionary for the City Missionary Society. During the Civil War, Gibbs became the first female nurse for the Union. After the war, she returned home to continue her work for another twenty-two years.
The Hyams sisters, along with their brother, Geoffrey, supported a settlement house and social service activities in East Boston for many years. In 1937, they established the Fresh Air Camps for local children suffering with tuberculosis. Isabel Hyams, an 1888 graduate of MIT, began the experimental Penny Lunch Club to provide Boston students with nutritious lunches for one or two cents.
