Former Women's Lunch Place Guest Becomes Consistent Donor

Often, our relationships begin with a healthy, delicious, scratch-made meal.

During the 2008 recession, Connie* was laid off from her longtime job as an administrative assistant. As she began bouncing from one temporary position to another, she fell into a deep depression and her savings began to dwindle. Without a viable safety net, she became unable to pay rent and began sleeping on the street. 

After many nights spent on a concrete ledge in Back Bay, Connie discovered Women’s Lunch Place. She began to visit us each day for scratch-made, hearty breakfasts and lunches. When asked how it felt to be a guest of WLP at that turbulent time in her life, Connie responded, “all I can say is thank heavens it was there!” 

Decades of experience have shown us that adults who eat a healthy diet live longer and have a lower risk of suffering from physical and mental health problems. A healthy diet is the cornerstone of effective disease prevention and management, and WLP’s Healthy Meals program is designed to serve our guests accordingly––all menus consist of lean protein, whole grains, fresh vegetables, and fruit. 

In addition to having two nutritious meals at WLP each day, Connie was grateful to have a place to shower, use the restroom, and safely take respite from life on the streets, where she continued to sleep when the weather allowed. In the winter, she sheltered at Barbara McGinnis House, a 104-bed medical respite operated by our partners at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program.  

Unlike many of our guests, Connie did not require housing search, job readiness, or other Advocacy services to get back on her feet. Her pathway to recovery was launched by consistent access to healthy meals, basic hygiene, a stable daytime environment, and a temporary address where she could receive her social security. In time, Connie built up the confidence to return to the workforce and found a steady position doing data entry––eventually earning enough to afford the market-rate studio apartment where she now resides. 

In the years since she transitioned from being food insecure and homeless to stably housed, Connie has donated thousands of dollars back to Women’s Lunch Place, helping us fuel our efforts to improve access to healthy nutrition in our community. She has recently made a legacy gift to WLP so that we can help other women who find themselves in a similar situation. 

To that end, as we continue to respond to urgent public health needs driven by poverty, homelessness, and COVID, preparing and serving nourishing meals remains at the core of our mission. Our most recent survey revealed that 88% of women who come to WLP for hunger relief report that they are totally reliant on food programs to meet all their nutritional needs. Fifty-nine percent rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which provide $1.74 per meal, per day. 

It is not unusual for former guests to give back to Women’s Lunch Place, but the frequency and size of Connie’s gifts are out of the ordinary. We are immeasurably proud that we could be there for her in her time of need and honored that she is choosing to fund our ongoing efforts to address food insecurity in our community. 

Thank you, Connie, for continuing to use your voice to help women whose journeys you understand. We are so grateful for your support. 

Guest’s name has been change to protect her privacy.