Guest Story: Young Mother Escaping Homelessness

Yanira left the Dominican Republic as a teenager after a fire devastated her home. As she made her way to Boston, she was separated from her family and has slept in overnight shelters and on the street ever since.

Last winter, Yanira found Women’s Lunch Place through a referral from a local shelter. She began to arrive in the mornings to work toward a more stable life. 

At WLP Yanira could finally focus on her goals in our safe, women-only environment. She ate hearty breakfasts, took showers, and began working with our Resource & Empowerment Center and Advocacy departments to find a career and a permanent home. 

Yanira was six months pregnant when she first came to WLP, and our team assisted her in finding medical care and by supplying essential items (diapers, crib, Pack ‘n’ Play) for her new child. Yanira’s delivery was a success, and her job and housing search became even more urgent. 

WLP helped Yanira find safety in a home for young mothers. Removed from the chaotic environment of a co-ed overnight shelter, Yanira has a more solid foundation for her work. 

Her journey is far from over, as Yanira is in the middle of a lengthy application process for her work visa. From there, she hopes to work in an office setting in the real estate or finance industry. Even with the housing voucher WLP helped secure, she has been repeatedly turned down by landlords due to her lack of credit history. 

We will continue to work with Yanira to find a home for her and her baby. 

You can help fund housing searches for women like Yanira with a gift to WLP today. Thank you for being in our corner as we advocate for young mothers. 

*Yanira’s name and identifying details have been altered to protect her anonymity.