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Boston-area women find home, community

By Gaveliers, The Gavel Media Team, on December 7, 2009 8:09 PM

By April Chang, Contributing writer -

A diminutive figure, draped by a moth-eaten cloak, ceased to tremble as she entered what at first glance might be mistaken for a cozy, red-brick café — Rosie’s Place, a women’s homeless shelter.

The receptionist at the front desk warmly greeted the meager, silver-haired guest, who paused to chit-chat before entering the dining hall.
Since the economic recession began, Boston has been seeing a pronounced increase in the visibility of homeless women. Although women suffer disproportionately from homelessness, they receive less attention than their male counterparts. This may be due to the fact that women do not fit the stereotype of homelessness.

“Women tend to make themselves less visible. They avoid putting themselves in the public eye,” says Marty Wengert, director of volunteer services at Rosie’s Place, the first daytime shelter for poor and homeless women founded in the United States.

Kip Tiernan founded the shelter on Easter Sunday, 1974, in the South End of Boston.

“When Kip saw women disguised as men lined up in front of the food bank at Pine Street Inn she said, ‘We could do much better than that,’” Marsh says.

Now, some homeless women use various aliases to enter different shelters, complicating the record-keeping process.

“It’s primarily related to substance use and the whole social milieu that younger homeless women are living in,” Wengert says. “Their vulnerability puts them at risk for HIV infection and drug addiction that often leads to overdosing.”

“One of the things we try to remember at Rosie’s Place is that a day a woman comes to us is probably one of the worst days of her life,” said Sarah Marsh, executive director of Rosie’s Place.

The shelter administers eight different programs that work towards creating permanent solutions through affordable housing, education, and advocacy.

“Times are tough, but you need to let pride step aside a little,” said one guest as she realized that her last resort, Rosie’s Place, could actually be able to help her get back on her feet.

Medical care is readily available, with doctors and nurses there five times per week. Six full-time social workers, or “advocates,” are available for one-on-one counseling.

“[The advocates] helped me figure out everything from housing to dealing with my drug addiction. That’s why I’m here to give back by volunteering,” said Pam, a former Rosie’s guest.

The shelter holds 20 homeless women, and guests can stay a maximum of 21 days. The other guests are given the option of pursuing permanent housing by paying one-third of their income.

Lunch and dinner are served every day and the guests are welcome to second helpings. The dining hall resounds with the hustle and bustle of women young and old, each shaped by and sharing their different backgrounds and life experiences. The occasional tinkle of a child’s laughter and the cooing or chastising of a mother creates a warm, maternal atmosphere.

Craft Cooperative, a micro-enterprise providing women with the resources and training to create and sell jewelry with little to no experience, organizes arts and craft activities every week. Five glass shelves showcasing Craft Cooperative jewelry have become the centerpiece of the dining hall.

Currently, 150 women are enrolled in 10-week classes. Among the 1,000 volunteers that come to Rosie’s annually, many serve as teachers for the ESL and GED prep classes. Boston College has become a strong affiliate of Rosie’s Place through PULSE and 4Boston. Other universities with strong ties include Northeastern and Lesley University.

Three shower stalls and a laundry facility with two sets of washers and dryers are open all day. The clothing room disseminates bags containing sweaters, jeans, undergarments, and socks daily. The special occasion closet is open for guests who have impending interviews. The emergency closet is often used by battered guests who have left all of their possessions behind and thus need a complete wardrobe.

Rosie’s Place runs on a $5 million annual budget. They accept no government funds, in order to maintain control over their policies. Private individuals contribute about half the funds to support Rosie’s Place. The other half come from foundations, civic groups and corporations.

“Thirty-five years ago, we started with a budget of $1,200,” Christina Gordon, Rosie’s board of investor, says. “Bank of America and Pioneer Investments have sent their associates to volunteer at Rosie’s to help us achieve our mission.”

Volunteers, many of whom are college students, provide 58,000 hours of service every year in addition to 55 full-time employees.
Marsh hopes Rosie’s Place will continue to be a place of hope and nourishment for the homeless women of Boston.

“Our ultimate mission is for this place to go out of business, Marsh says. “This will be the day every woman in Boston will have housing.”