The First 40 Years

SPRING 2014
A Timeline of Rosie’s Place’s First 40 Years
Q & A with Overnight Advocate Rev. Laura Ahart
Our Executive Director Reflects on Our Anniversary
NEWS
Food Stamp Cuts Affect Rosie’s Place Guests
Newly Redesigned Website Debuts
New Items from WCC Artisans
Rosie’s Place: The First 40 Years
Photo courtesy of the Bay State Banner
Q&A
As we celebrate the anniversary
of our founding 40 years ago,
we’d like to share a bit of Rosie’s
Place’s history, from its humble
beginnings in an old supermarket
to a thriving community center
that today gives hope and help
to 12,000 poor and homeless
women annually. We are grateful
to every one of our kind and
generous friends who have
supported us along the way.
REV. LAURA AHART
OVERNIGHT ADVOCATE
Among her many roles, the Rev. Laura
Buchanan Ahart has for the last two years
served as a part-time overnight advocate for
the 20 women staying at Rosie’s Place. She
also is pastor of the United Baptist Church
in Jamaica Plain, a prison chaplain, chair of
the Criminal Justice Committee for the Black
Ministerial Alliance and a visible, approachable
presence on the streets of Boston. Rev. Ahart
was recently named a Woman of Courage
and Conviction by the National Council of
Negro Women, Boston chapter.
What led you to take a job at Rosie’s Place?
I was ministering to men and women at the
Nashua Street Jail in Boston, but in 2005 the
women were moved to the South Bay House
of Correction. At Rosie’s Place I found I could
stay connected to women with the same
kinds of issues.
Do you find the concerns of our guests
very much the same or different from
those of the men you see at the jail?
You might be surprised, but there are mostly
similarities. Whether you’re incarcerated
or homeless, you don’t want to be in
that situation. You’re feeling hopeless,
discouraged. You’re missing your family.
You want to be independent but you don’t
know how to get out of that hole.
What is your approach
with people you minister to?
I always try to bring a nurturing attitude to
people, whether they’re gang members on
the street or felons or my congregation or
Rosie’s Place guests. I am not judgmental.
I treat people with respect and I don’t tolerate
disrespect toward me, so I fit in well here.
I raised two sons as a single parent in the
South End and I found tough love and having
something to focus on in their lives kept them
on the right track. That model can work for
lots of people.
What do you think Rosie’s Place guests
are seeking?
They want to know that someone cares, that
someone will look out for them. They are used
to hearing negatives, what they can’t do. So
I give lots of encouragement, no matter where
they’re at. I can also provide leads for services
they can use and support for taking that first
step toward trying to turn things around. At
the end of the day, I just try to be where the
need is.
On Easter Sunday 1974, Kip Tiernan,
with four other volunteers and $250
donated by friends, opened the doors
to Rosie’s Place in the empty Rozen’s
Supermarket on Columbus Avenue
in Boston’s South End. It was the first
women-only shelter in the United
States. Kip chose the name Rosie’s
Place because it held no connotations
and sounded like it could be a women’s
coffeehouse or favorite aunt’s kitchen;
“Rosie” is no one in particular, yet all
our guests. A decision was made at
the outset to accept no city, state, or
federal money to ensure Rosie’s Place’s
independence from outside demands,
policies, or prejudices.
On opening day there were more
volunteers than guests. Small, pink
notices that read “If you need a meal,
come here and we’ll help you” were
distributed among women in the
neighborhood. From that day, the
word about Rosie’s Place spread and
the number of women who sought
us out began to grow. Through a fire,
downturns in the economy and many
other challenges, Rosie’s Place has
continued to expand in size and scope
in order to meet our guests’ needs. What
has never changed is the unconditional
love, understanding and acceptance
offered to every woman who walks
through our doors.
1998
A capital campaign was launched
to expand and rebuild Rosie’s
Place. Commitments of more than
$3.2 million were made for the
reconstruction.
1974
Rosie’s Place opens on Easter Sunday in the former
Rozen’s Supermarket on Columbus Ave., Boston.
1977
Rosie’s Place moved into a five-story
row house in Washington Street in Boston’s
South End, and purchased a triple-decker on
Columbia Road, Dorchester. Not long after, this
became our first permanent housing for nine
formerly homeless women.
1984
Shortly after Rosie’s Place’s 10th birthday on April 24,
fire destroyed the top two floors of the Washington Street
building. Staff, volunteers, guests and neighbors came
1996
The Women’s Craft Cooperative
was formed and this social
enterprise, which gave job
training and permanent, part-time
employment to Rosie’s Place
guests, began “turning buttons into
brooches.”
1995
Rosie’s Place converted a tripledecker in Dorchester into a home
for women living with HIV, after
starting a pilot program on one
floor of the Columbia Road,
Dorchester house.
2000
Rededication took place in June. New services
in the renovated building included a dining room
that seats 150, new showers and laundry facilities,
a wellness center, and the Rosie’s Place
Groceries food pantry.
2010
A new Women’s Education Center was
completed in the space adjacent to Rosie’s Place
at 887 Harrison Avenue. In classrooms on four
floors, women attend free onsite ESOL, computer
and literacy classes.
2014
Rosie’s Place continues to grow, in recent
years adding a Self-Advocacy department and
enhancing community outreach with the launch of
Outreach services.
together to offer assistance and support and, with the
help of the Boston community, all services were restored
1986
within 24 hours. Plans started on renovating the former
Rosie’s Place’s new home was
dedicated on June 2. The previous
location on Washington Street was
then converted into a lodging house
that provided a permanent home for
13 women.
location of St. Philip’s Church at 889 Harrison Avenue,
Boston, where Kip had volunteered earlier.
Monjoa’s Story
It was only when she took a secret
journey of 5,532 miles from her home
in the village of Limbe, Cameroon
to Boston and Rosie’s Place that
Monjoa finally felt at peace. Although
she is currently undocumented and
homeless, she says, “Since I have
been here, my life has changed. I am
happy.”
Monjoa was only five when her
mother died in childbirth. She was
taken in by a succession of families as
a helper and had to forgo schooling.
She was married at 16 and not long
after the birth of her second child, her
legs lost all their strength. She could
not stand or walk unassisted. Sadly,
her husband and his family did not
believe or help her; they would not
pay for medical care, and traditional
remedies she underwent were painful
and cruel. “I was suffering, but these
experiences made me strong,” Monjoa
says.
Amid feelings of abandonment,
isolation and shame, Monjoa prayed
and found inspiration. She learned
how to sew from a neighbor; not only
did she now earn her own money for
medical treatment, but the pedals of
the sewing machine strengthened her
legs. She got through each day the
best she could.
Her husband eventually died and she
refused another man’s offer to marry.
He habitually sexually assaulted
her until she fought back one night
and an elder from another township
came to her aid. “I did not think of a
future, I just wanted to die,” Monjoa
says. Papa, as Monjoa calls him, knew
the only answer was for her to leave.
He arranged for her to clandestinely
fly out of the country with him. She
stayed with his family in Washington,
D.C. and other temporary connections
in the Boston area.
Today Monjoa receives medical
treatment and assistance from
Boston Medical Center; her legs are
strengthening with the cane and
care they provided. She has stayed in
the Overnight Program throughout
the past year and while she waits
for housing, spends most days here,
enjoying meals, and taking part in
self-advocacy and arts activities and
iPad classes. She has improved her
English through close friendships
with our guests. “Rosie’s Place has
built me back up,” Monjoa says. “I was
in the dark and now I feel some light.”
Our Executive Director on
40 Years of Rosie’s Place
Dear Friends:
Forty years ago, Kip Tiernan and a small group of friends
opened the doors of Rosie’s Place not knowing quite what
to expect. They planned to offer coffee, clothes, a place to
hang out, and some compassionate listening. Forty years
later, Rosie’s Place still provides all of that—and much
more. Today, our guests visit Rosie’s Place for needs small
and large, simple and complex. For one guest, a meal or a
Charlie ticket is all she needs. For another guest, her daily
visit to Rosie’s Place includes not only a meal and a visit
with an outreach worker, but taking part in an art activity
or a skill-building workshop. Truly a community center for
poor and homeless women, Rosie’s Place offers so much
to so many women who have no place else to turn.
As Rosie’s Place came into being in 1974, that world
was filled with as much change as today’s. Leaders fell
(President Nixon), records were broken (Hank Aaron) and
new ways to waste time were invented (People Magazine).
In Boston, Judge Garrity ordered busing to desegregate
the schools, and Bruce Springsteen opened for Bonnie
Food Stamp Cuts Affect Rosie’s Place Guests
Recent cuts to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, are taking away
critical resources for poor women and forcing difficult choices.
At Rosie’s Place, we see thousands of women every year who
come to us because of hunger. They are often confronted with
these tough questions: If you have only $1.40 (the average
food assistance amount) to spend for dinner, what will you eat?
Which meal would you skip to make your dollar go further? In
the face of such great need, it is unfortunate that legislative
action in the past few months has chipped away at vital food
assistance benefits.
In 2009 President Obama signed the Recovery Act (or the
stimulus bill) to buffer Americans from the worst effects of the
Great Recession. Among the law’s provisions was a temporary
freeze on cuts to SNAP benefits, which are calculated based on
the strength of the economy. This stimulus made a tremendous
difference in both meeting the greater demand for food
assistance due to historic unemployment levels and inching
SNAP benefits toward the real costs of healthy nutrition.
Unfortunately, Congress did not extend the freeze on cuts.
Due to Congress’s failure to act, SNAP benefits in November
were cut across the board an average of $30 per month, with
Massachusetts losing $95 million in food assistance. While
$30 less may not seem like a lot to many Americans, a cut of
any amount can be critical to our guests.
Raitt in Cambridge. What a world! The newly-founded
“My food stamps were cut from $54 to $51 dollars. It doesn’t
seem like much, but I had to choose one less item a month,”
said Marie. “How many items can you get for $50 to last you
a month? One less item is a lot.” Another guest, Alicia, added
“My food stamps were cut from $300 to $260. Three hundred
was barely enough to feed myself and my two daughters. Food
barely lasts two weeks. I would like to buy healthier food, but
I have to choose food that is cheap to make it stretch. Luckily
we can come to Rosie’s Place to eat; without that I wouldn’t
know what to do.”
In the meantime, Congress has been debating a Farm Bill which
is comprised of 80% SNAP funding and 20% funding for
corporate farms. In February 2014, Congress did act and their
solution was to triple the cuts to the most vulnerable members
of our society. In the midst of record low temperatures across
the nation, Congress passed a bipartisan compromise reducing
SNAP benefits in high heating cost states to households
that receive little or no fuel assistance. In Massachusetts that
means 125,000 low-income individuals, most of whom are
elderly or disabled, will lose an additional $90 per month of
food assistance in addition to the stimulus cut.
We are fortunate that none of Massachusetts’ U.S. senators or
congressmen voted for this legislation. And we apprehensively
await the implementation of this new law in the spring. Contact
Public Policy Director Sana Fadel at [email protected] for
more information.
Rosie’s Place fit right in: it was a place that was unlike
any other, that set the highest value on pursuing social
justice and alleviating suffering. Even our choice of words
trumpeted our unique nature: We would welcome our
guests with unconditional love. We would serve them in
our Dining Room, Overnight and Rosie’s Place Groceries.
Words that emphasized the otherness of our guests were
banished; we welcomed the women who visited as we
Please support Rosie’s Place by donating
online at www.rosiesplace.org/give or by sending a
gift in the enclosed envelope.
We thank you!
would family. Then, as now, we made sure that our guests
would have our whole hearts, and we would embrace
them without reservation.
The next 40 years will certainly see as much change
and growth as the past 40. We will see our Education
QUOTABLE
Center, Outreach program and other programs that
foster independence and dignity thrive. We’ll absolutely
continue to partner with like-minded organizations—both
to bring their services into Rosie’s Place, and to bring
our extraordinary kind of approach and care to poor and
homeless women beyond our four walls. But I hope with
all my heart that the services we provide due to terrible
failures in our world will disappear because they are no
longer needed. Perhaps we’ll see a Dining Room that
offers a meal as only a means for companionship and
comfort—not because our guests cannot afford any other
place to eat. Perhaps we’ll see an Overnight that offers
“I came to Rosie’s Place in the 90s with just
$10 and the clothes on my back. It was like Jesus
answered the door. They gave me a meal, a job
at the Women’s Craft Cooperative, a place to live
for 12 years. I made the best friends of my life.
Rosie’s Place put me back together.”
Elizabeth Sanborn, a longtime guest of
Rosie’s Place, who is still connected through
our Friendly Visitor program
guests a bed for short-lived, brief emergencies—rather
Elizabeth
than a substitute for a home of their own. Perhaps if we
dream it, we can make it true.
“I love being in the Dining Room, I love the interaction
with other volunteers and guests, I love everything about
Rosie’s Place! I’ve seen a big change in the menus over
the last nine years. When the meals started to become
more healthy and nutritious, it was a bit of an adjustment
for the guests. But it’s become a real positive change.
I always say ‘Rosie’s Place lives up to their mission
statement, completely.’”
We’ll celebrate our 40th anniversary this Easter in the
usual way: food all day, entertainment, lots of volunteers
and visiting friends, a big birthday cake. We’ll visit with
new guests, and with women who return just to wish us a
happy anniversary. That special nature of our community
will resonate throughout the day!
Thanks to your help and support, we embrace our duty
Pam Abenaim, a volunteer from Lynnfield since 2005, who has
logged 773 hours assisting with meals, as well as holiday gift
wrapping and driving guests to the polls.
to protect every woman who visits us. From 1974 to the
present day, you’ve made it possible for us to keep the
doors open and the lights shining. You’ve provided a
sanctuary for women alone, scared and sad.
Thank you so much for caring.
With faith,
Sue
ROSIE’S PLACE NEWS is published three times a year to inform our friends
about activities and events taking place throughout the Rosie’s Place
community. OUR MISSION is to provide a safe and nurturing environment
for poor and homeless women to maintain their dignity, seek opportunity,
and find security in their lives.
Executive Director Sue Marsh
Director of Development Leemarie Mosca
Director of Communications and Editor Michele Chausse
Communications Coordinator Katie Gustainis Vela
Design Colette O’Neill
We’d love to hear from you! Please contact us
with your comments at 617.318.0210.
Pam
“When I first came to Rosie’s Place in 1990 we assisted women
with the services of two advocates in the ‘Drop-in Center’ on
weekdays and one advocate in the Overnight Program. It was
exciting to watch the Advocacy department grow over the years
as we strived to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse
population. We’ve always asked guests to tell us how we can help,
and then we try to be responsive. Today our Advocacy department
has nine multi-lingual Advocates who handle a range of shortand long-term issues as well as outside service providers that
augment our services.”
Anna Barbara Carter-Bruno, currently Rosie’s Place
Health Services Director
Anna Barbara (AB)
Did
K ?
You
now
In December Rosie’s Place hosted a
delegation of academics, attorneys and
government officials from Iraq who were
meeting with nonprofits here to learn more
about U.S. approaches to human trafficking
and sexual abuse. The seven Iraqi visitors
spoke to staff from Rosie’s Place and other
Boston nonprofits about homelessness and
Rosie’s Place Launches New Website
Rosie’s Place launched a newly redesigned website in mid-February. If you haven’t already had the occasion to visit
www.rosiesplace.org, we encourage you to do so! We’ve made it even easier to learn about our work and to find
what you need:
•
•
•
•
•
A special section with access to information and services for guests
Volunteer login on home page and an up-to-date “News and Needs” section
A streamlined Women’s Craft Cooperative shop with bigger photos and quicker check out
First-person videos from guests and volunteers
Simple-to-use donation pages
Once you’ve spent some time on the site, please let us know what you think via email at [email protected].
After all, this website is a vital connection to you!
shelters as well.
Front desk coordinator
Anaivis Hernandez has
received
a
“Uplifting
LIFT-Boston
Award,”
recognizes
which
“courageous
and inspiring individuals who
demonstrate an uncommon
commitment to social justice,
service, and lifting people out
of poverty for good.” Ana worked with LIFT
Communityof
Friends
toward meeting education and employment
goals. In addition to working at Rosie’s Place,
she is taking classes at Bunker Hill Community
College.
Rosie’s Place started a partnership in
December with the Boston chapter of Back
on My Feet (BoMF), a national organization
that uses running to help those experiencing
homelessness change the way they see
themselves
and
possibly
move
toward
employment and independent living. The five
to 10 guest members of Team Rosie’s Place
meet at 6 am three
mornings a week to
either walk or run,
along with a group
of
WBUR 90.9 FM personalities, from left, Bob Oakes, Delores Handy, Robin Young, Bill Littlefield and
Tom Ashbrook brought A Christmas Carol to life at the 11th annual reading of the holiday classic at the
Omni Parker House. The personalities and hundreds of attendees braved snowy December weather for this
Rosie’s Place fundraiser that has become a Boston tradition.
runners
the
from
community.
Many
members
competed in a 5K
race in March.
The market is up, which makes this an
opportune time to consider donating shares
of appreciated stock to Rosie’s Place. There
will be no capital gains taxes on the profit and
the current value of the investment can be
deducted as a charitable contribution. The first
step is to identify which investments to donate
Dedicated volunteer Hal Cutler of Sudbury
was named a “Patriots Difference Maker”
by the New England Patriots Charitable
Foundation for his 17-year leadership of a
group of volunteers from Sudbury’s Memorial
Congregational Church. Cutler was honored
along with 14 other weekly difference makers
and received a $1,000 grant for Rosie’s Place
at the final game of the Patriots regular season.
Steve Koppel, an avid photographer and founder
of the nonprofit MyMoments, discusses with a
guest photographs she took using an iPad supplied
by Rosie’s Place during a weekly workshop he
has been offering. MyMoments is partnering with
Rosie’s Place to enable guests to tell their stories
by integrating Expressive Digital Imagery into the
arts activities we provide.
and then set a target price for making the gift.
Contact Benjamin Weisman at 617.318.0232
or
[email protected]
to
receive
transfer instructions or to discuss this type of
donation.
WISH LIST
Two New Items for Spring
from Our Artisans
The Button Bracelet
BOX
spring
BUTTON
Join in the yearlong celebration of our 40th anniversary
with the Rosie’s Place Button Bracelet. This simply
Each week, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and
Community Development places an average of 35 families in
emergency shelter, often with nothing to ease a very difficult
transition. Rosie’s Place wants to help our guests and other
women in our community who are in this situation by providing
special care packages. We hope Rosie’s Place supporters can
lend a hand by filling a tote with all or many of these necessary
items for a family of four, such as:
elegant 2.35” diameter silver finish bangle bracelet is
adorned with a cluster of fresh water pearls, a Czech
glass bead and a silver finish bead. The button charm
represents the early days of the WCC at Rosie’s Place
and its signature button brooches. It is on sale now and
throughout 2014 for $40.
The Mother’s Day Necklace
Our limited edition Mother’s Day jewelry item for
Essentials:
2014 is a one-of-a-kind agate and bead necklace.
• Toiletries (soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo,
baby wipes, combs, brushes, feminine hygiene products,
tissues) and adult and child socks.
• Food (bottled water, juice boxes, granola bars, raisins,
peanut butter, crackers, jelly, pretzels, dried fruit, and
single packs of cereal, nuts, cookies, and oatmeal).
For a donation of $65 or more, this stunning necklace
handcrafted by the Women’s Craft Cooperative will be
sent to your mother, wife, daughter or special someone.
We all benefit as you honor an important woman in your
life while making every day a little better for Rosie’s
Place guests.
Other needed items:
A distinctive oval blue agate dangles from a 32” oval link chain with a silver matte finish.
• Plastic plates, cups, flatware, can opener, napkins, paper
towels, ziploc bags.
• Notebook, pen, coloring book, crayons.
• Flashlight, batteries, clothespins.
The chain is festooned with Labradorite gemstone beads, freshwater pearls in green and
This is a great volunteer project for schools, workplaces
and church and other community groups. Hold a drive to
collect these items and work together to package them—your
efforts will truly make a difference for women and children in
need. Contact Katie Amoro at [email protected] or
617.318.0211 for more information. As always, we are grateful
for your generosity.
Matching earrings featuring the Swarovski crystal will pair nicely with the necklace and
Safe and Sound Gala
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
WGBH Studios, Brighton
DATE
SAVE THE
Please join us for a special evening
of food, friends and philanthropy at
our annual Safe and Sound gala,
celebrating 40 years of Rosie’s Place.
You’ll enjoy delectable cuisine prepared
and served by celebrity chefs with
fine wine pairings–and the chance
to win unique, insider-only auction
packages. Sponsorship opportunities
are available and tickets begin at $500.
For more information, please contact
Benjamin Weisman at 617.318.0232
or [email protected].
copper, olive jade, aqua Swarovski crystals, metallic green crystals and glass beads in
a deep orchid.
are available for $15 alone or as a set for a special price of $75. A simple yet elegant
card will accompany the necklace, informing the honoree of your thoughtful generosity.
Both jewelry items can be purchased online at www.rosiesplace.org/shop
or by calling the WCC at 617.318.0282. As always, 100% of the proceeds
support our vital services for poor and homeless women.
New England Coffee
Company 22nd Annual
Golf Tournament
Funny Women…
Serious Business
Luncheon
Spend the day at the beautiful
Andover Country Club and enjoy
lunch, dinner and a round of golf
while raising funds for Rosie’s
Place. For more information
on the tournament and raffle,
please contact New England
Coffee at 781.873.1554 or
visit the News & Events page
at www.rosiesplace.org.
Our yearlong anniversary celebration
continues with our annual luncheon—the
best in Boston! The featured speaker will
be author Cheryl Strayed, whose #1
bestselling memoir, Wild: From Lost to
Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, details her
1,100-mile hike and the personal struggles
that compelled her to take the journey. For
sponsorship or ticket information, please
contact Katie Amoro at 617.318.0211
or [email protected].
Monday, May 12, 2014
Andover Country Club, Andover
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Hynes Convention Center, Boston
www.rosiesplace.org
889 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02118
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PAID
BOSTON, MA
PERMIT NO. 14526