News Features – Women's Lunch Place

Looming SNAP funding cuts caused by the government shutdown are putting a Boston shelter on edge as staff worry about how to feed vulnerable families.

"I'm very concerned that we're going to have children that are hungry, we're going to have moms that are hungry," said Jennifer Hanlon Wigon, CEO of Women's Lunch Place.

The ballroom of the Fairmont Copley Plaza was filled with compassion, celebration, and community spirit as Women’s Lunch Place (WLP) hosted its annual Spaghetti Dinner on Oct. 9. The sold-out event raised more than $725,000, the highest total in the organization’s 43-year history.

“GBFB’s network of dedicated agency partners includes amazing organizations like Women’s Lunch Place that inspire us to be innovative in our efforts to address food insecurity across Eastern Massachusetts,” said Catherine D’Amato, president and CEO at GBFB. “With deep concern about the potential impacts of federal policy changes on food access across our region, we aim to continue to invest in partners like Women’s Lunch Place to bolster their ability to provide even more nutritious meals to the women in Boston that rely on them to meet their individual needs, all with dignity and respect.”

Women's Lunch Place (WLP) held its annual ‘eat LUNCH give’ fundraising luncheon at the Mandarin Oriental, Boston, on Friday, May 16.

Over 250 generous attendees and sponsors enabled WLP to surpass its fundraising goal for the event. At the luncheon, WLP featured video testimonials from three women in its new 50-bed shelter-to-housing initiative.

Every spring, a small card with a significant impact begins its journey across Boston and beyond. The Mother's Day card campaign from Women's Lunch Place is more than a thoughtful gift—it’s a lifeline for women in need. 

Every day, the basement of Church of the Covenant on Boston's Newbury Street comes alive, as it fills with women facing homelessness or housing insecurity.

It's a day shelter called Women's Lunch Place. On a recent weekday, the chatter of women and clanking of silverware filled the air, along with pop music. Several volunteers chopped vegetables and stirred big tins of food.

A welcome departure from the standard gala fare of vulcanized chicken, the Spaghetti Dinner for the Women’s Lunch Place was held at the Fairmont Copley Plaza and featured a lively cocktail party with a massive silent auction in the Venetian Room, followed by a delicious, family-style Italian dinner in the Grand Ballroom.

Tatiana Stridh has an accent, but with dual U.S. and Russian citizenship, she feels right at home in Boston. The 51-year-old fled Russia to the U.S. but fell on hard times in 2024.

For Karyn M., clutching the keys to her own room for the first time brought on a strange combination of grief over her past and gratitude for what’s next.

Since being evicted from her apartment in July 2024, the 57-year-old had spent months living in Boston shelters. She had been trying to find some semblance of the stability she had before her life began to unravel — before she lost her job, her housing, and much of her belongings.