Healthy Meals
Food first... futures follow.
Nourishing meals, served with dignity, alleviate food insecurity and provide a gateway to critical services.
MEALS SCHEDULE:
Nutritious meals are served Monday - Saturday at our Day Shelter (67 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116).
Breakfast: 8AM - 10:30AM
Lunch: 12PM - 2:00PM
Takeaway Dinner
When you are hungry, it's nearly impossible move forward in your life. Even simple tasks can be difficult to accomplish, and complicated issues can seem impossible to overcome.
We provide three nutrition-packed meals six days a week to over 2,300 women annually. Sixty-four percent of our guests report that they rely on WLP as their primary source of hunger relief.
Our Healthy Meals Program prepared and served 165,718 meals in FY25, a record number for our organization, and the need continues to rise.
HOW DO OUR MEALS RESTORE DIGNITY?
Freshly-prepared meals have been served restaurant-style at WLP since 1982. Guests have the option of enjoying bread and soup before their meal, and can choose between a main entree or vegetarian alternative. Like a thoughtfully-curated restaurant menu, our meals include choices and provide the experience of being actively cared for and served.
The meals themselves are satisfying, delicious, and culturally diverse. Fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy grains, and lean proteins are incorporated into each day’s menu. Fresh produce and herbs—including from local farms and gardens—add variety and interest to food rescue, food pantry, and purchased goods.
Our meals program costs more than a typical "soup kitchen" because we believe strongly that nutrition is a human right and food costs are rising. You can help us continue to serve meals with care and dignity by sponsoring a breakfast or lunch at WLP. Corporate sponsorships and meal dedications that honor or remember a loved one make a huge impact on the women we serve.
HEALTHY MEALS ARE JUST THE BEGINNING
A guest’s first impression of WLP is often through a nutritious meal, having been referred by word-of-mouth or by one of our partner organizations. Our community dining area sits at the center of our day shelter—acting as a gateway to programs that address survival needs, help women find stable homes, and provide vital healthcare services.
Housing, health, and a better life all start with a meal.
THE BIGGER PICTURE…
Last year, more than one in three Massachusetts adults experienced food insecurity. Most had to choose between paying for food, utilities, rent, or medical care. Consistent, nutritionally dense meals, served with dignity, are vital before women can begin to address more complex issues such as finding housing or recovering from addiction.
SNAP requirements have become stricter—for example, a woman who is 64 years old and homeless no longer qualifies on that basis alone. As an official SNAP Outreach Partner, WLP trains our advocates to register and recertify women for their essential food benefits. We strive to ensure that guests have access to healthy nutrition beyond the walls of WLP.
