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.
Read MoreI am reflecting on my note from a year ago, when we imagined the end of the pandemic was in sight.
It is a hard reality that even with vaccinations and continued precautions we are still faced with an ongoing crisis. I look back at 2021 with gratitude for our staff members’ expertise, diligence, creativity, and especially their good humor.
Read MoreFor the past seven years, tent encampments have been at the center of the dialogue surrounding Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard. Often missing from the overall discourse has been the role tents play in obscuring the lives and unique voices of homeless women.
Read More“Sometimes life throws you a twist, and you just have to keep trying.”
In early October, hurricanes, earthquakes, and COVID-19 forced Patricia out of her lifelong home in Puerto Rico.
As an insurance salesperson working solely for commissions, Patricia’s income had plummeted in the wake of the catastrophes, as many Puerto Ricans terminated their policies to pay for essentials like food, rent, and health care.
Read MoreA 15-year-old girl, Elina, is smuggled out of an impoverished, conflict-ridden country in Central America by her uncles. She is seeking asylum, freedom, and employment to support her sick father.
However, as soon as she is stateside, Elina’s uncles trap her in a brutal sex trafficking ring that operates throughout the Northeastern coast.
Read MoreOften, when a guest begins seeking help from Women’s Lunch Place, they withhold critical information about their personal situation. Mistrust of institutions, fear of personal safety, and denial are all barriers to a fully transparent initial engagement.
Read MoreTo WLP––especially the staff, the volunteers she has interacted with, and our donors––Julie has this to say: “You saved my life. My options were shelters… and that’s it. I don’t think I would have had the strength to last three years without your help.”
Read MoreMary’s addiction caused her to exhaust every resource and personal connection she had. After two decades of alcoholism, she is now working with a Women’s Lunch Place advocate to improve her health, career, and living situation.
Thirty-seven percent of guests self-report experiences with drug and alcohol use disorders, and research indicates that the actual percentage is significantly higher. To meet this need, our Direct Care and Advocacy staff are specifically trained to assess and work with women, like Mary, who are struggling with addiction.
Read MoreTo put it simply, Catchafire lives up to its name.
As a daytime shelter and advocacy center for women experiencing homelessness and poverty, Women’s Lunch Place has an extremely dynamic slate of programming and administrative responsibilities and limited resources to accomplish them. In connecting us to experts who offer their services entirely free of charge, Catchafire has been an asset that we continue to benefit from and rely on.
Read MoreIn early 2009, insurance professionals Kathleen Smith, Amy Daley, and Kate MacDonald were connected to Women’s Lunch Place through our Mother’s Day Card campaign.
It was perfect timing––the three friends were in the midst of planning a social event to raise money for a Boston charity, but they had yet to select a beneficiary.
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