Winter 2010 Newsletter

@ SAVE THE DATE
kip tiernan
Dear friends,
Weekends can be especially hard if you are homeless, with no place to
go, no one to talk to, no appointments to follow up at the doctors or the
welfare office, or the usual haunts one gravitates towards.
Saturdays at Rosie’s Place are different. Sometimes we have a volunteer
who comes in and plays piano for the women and they all sing and for
a little while you can forget the loneliness. But it wasn’t always like that.
It took us a while to line up things to do, places to go, people to see and
sometimes those Saturdays were a little disappointing, a little edgy.
Holidays can be difficult too. I can remember a Saturday night just before
the Christmas holidays. An elderly woman on crutches watched me as I
hung Christmas bulbs and holly around the dining room. She said – to no
one in particular – “It was always Christmas for somebody else.” And I said
to her “Not this year – this year we party!” And she smiled softly
It is hard to believe that we just finished another holiday season. I have
so many memories, not just of the holidays, but of every day – and of the
thousands of women who have crossed our doorstep. As I wrote in 1986
“Home for the holidays is more than just another lyric to those of us at
Rosie’s Place who have kept on keeping on…our lives are enriched by our
losses. Our somewhat nomadic journey through the years has brought us
to this moment of quiet-noisy-peaceful-frantic-enduring-sacred grandeur,
we are, this year, truly home for the holidays.”
Because of you, Rosie’s Place is a tribute to the love we have for each other
every day of the week and the real spirit of the holidays. Women will always
have a home here, and hope will always have an address at Rosie’s Place.
These are trying times again for all of us. And we must not allow our
energy and our patriotism and our sense of justice to become lost in the
larger scramble for justice. Everything we do to help alleviate hunger is
important. Every step we take in the long walk for justice is important; we
need every single one of you. This, too, is a war – a quiet one, to be sure.
And one in which there are no visible heroes. But you have to remember
Sister Margie Tuite’s little parable:
Rosie’s Place Safe and Sound Gala
Wednesday, April 27th; 6:00 PM, Symphony Hall
Tickets begin at $500 and sponsorship opportunities are available.
For more information, contact Benjamin Weisman at 617-318-0232.
19th New England Coffee Charity Golf Classic
Monday, May 9th; Andover Country Club, Andover MA
Hit the links for this fun-filled day of golf to raise money for Rosie’s Place
For more information visit www.newenglandcoffee.com.
Wish List Spotlight
Old man (or woman!) winter has come in with a vengeance this year
and Rosie’s Place is in need of hats, gloves, scarves, and mittens to help
our guests fend off the cold winter weather. During the winter many of
our guests come to Rosie’s Place with cold fingers and snow in their hair.
Help us supply these winter essentials through new or gently used hats,
gloves, mittens and scarves, warm socks, thermal underwear (especially
large sizes) hand lotion and lip balm.
We are especially in need of warm winter coats, sweaters, and sweatshirts
size 16 and up for our guests.
Once inside, guests appreciate a cup of coffee, tea or hot cocoa to warm up.
Single servings of hot chocolate mix; tea bags; coffee beans (ground is best);
and individual packets of instant coffee are appreciated.
With your help we can continue to make the cold months a little warmer
for our guests.
Donations can be dropped off at Rosie’s Place anytime between 8 a.m.
and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Directions to Rosie’s Place can be found
on our website under the ‘contact us’ section at www.rosiesplace.org,
or by calling (617) 442-9322. Thank you for thinking of us!
Button Box
news from the women’s craft cooperative
Show Someone You Love Them with Jewelry
from the WCC!
The Women’s Craft Cooperative has added many
new products to our online store. Our new Red
Ruby Drop necklace exudes class and elegance.
This refined necklace features a ruby-red faceted
Czech bead anchored to a silver plated chain,
punctuated with tiny silver, grey and red capped
glass beads. Consider sending WCC products to
co-workers and clients as a corporate gift!
To place a corporate order, please contact
Barbara Summers at [email protected]
or (617) 318-0282.To view our entire collection, shop
the WCC online boutique at www.rosiesplace.org.
The animals were all running down the village streets – lions, tigers,
antelope, elephants. And in the middle of the village street there was a
little sparrow with her spindly legs in the air, listening to the cries of the
animals, “The sky is falling!” As an elephant passed the little sparrow on
the road he said “Hey dummy, the sky is falling. Do you think that your
scraggly little legs can hold it up?” And the little sparrow said, “One does
what one can.”
And that’s exactly what we do. What we can. Thank you for helping.
Love,
Kip
Rosie’s Place
u ‘11
winter newsletter
Little Things Mean A Lot
Big Band singer Kitty Kallen had it right when she told us “Give me your arm as we
cross the street/ Call me at six on the dot/ A line a day when you’re far away/ Little
things mean a lot.” Little things DO mean a lot at Rosie’s Place, where they can make the difference
between a dignified life and a disaster. From the time Rosie’s Place began in 1974 – twenty years after Kitty
sang those words -- simple, elegant touches and supports have made life bearable for thousands of poor
and homeless women.
Many of these “little things” are offered through the Rosie’s Place Front Desk – a key hub of information,
connections and resources for guests, staff and visitors alike. Women stop by to sign up to use the laundry,
shower facilities and lockers, check mail and Art Workshop offerings, and more. The Front Desk provides
the small necessities that most of us purchase without a second thought – postage on a business letter;
a squirt of hand lotion; plastic bags to hold possessions; a sheet of paper and use of a pen. Small services are
available here too – use of a free phone, the photocopier, a computer to check email, a place to receive mail
and messages. For many women who bounce from one living situation to another, Rosie’s Place may be the
only constant way to get a message from a doctor, prospective landlord or family member.
Yet attention to detail hardly stops at Rosie’s Place’s front door. “We serve our meals on real plates and our coffee in real mugs,” explains Dining Room
manager Ruthie McDonough. “We want our guests to feel honored and respected, and making sure our lunch and dinner services are like those we have in our
own homes. This is an important way to accomplish that goal.” Overnight manager Debbie Conway feels the same way. “We provide our shelter guests with
nightgowns and robes – not hospital johnnies or disposable slippers. It’s part of the way they feel comforted and safe.” While the meal on the Dining Room tables
and the roof over the shelter beds are critical, the way in which that meal and roof are offered is as essential to the Rosie’s Place mission.
Women’s Education Center director Ellen Braverman notes that our Women’s Education Center provides book bags filled with
school supplies, and classes begin with a juice box and a granola bar. “While our students would still make enormous progress
towards their GED or English fluency without these items, we know that providing them with this small assistance ensures
they feel valued – and ready to learn!”
Recently, most of Boston was shut down as piles of snow and great winds forced closings and delays.
As always, Rosie’s Place was open and ready to help when a mom came by looking for baby formula.
Two cans were found, and a happy guest went on her way. Little enough to offer … but it made a great
difference to that family. Thinkers from Aesop to Confucius to Martin Luther King have noted the
importance of relatively small gestures in making someone feel valued, loved and appreciated.
“We’re committed to providing services that matter to our guests, whether big or small,” continued Braverman. “And we know that the way those services are offered matters just as much.”
“Give me a hand when I’ve lost the way/ Give me your shoulder
to cry on/ Whether the day is bright or gray/ Give me your heart
to rely on … little things mean a lot.”
Many of our guests lead very fractured and transient lives. Consequently, our advocates receive many requests for help because a pair of eyeglasses
has been lost, stolen or broken. As anyone who wears eyeglasses can attest, it is hard to manage one’s day and life without them. Whether reading at
work, school or home or even driving and walking—the visually impaired are dependent on eyeglasses for their day-to-day survival. When you are poor,
replacement eyeglasses are an exorbitant expense. Even for our guests with health coverage, most carriers will only replace eyeglasses every two years
with no exceptions.
Over the years there has been a constant demand for eyeglasses. Fortunately a grant from the Alces Foundation allowed Rosie’s Place to renew our
contract with a local Boston optician —allowing us to provide approximately 25 guests with new eyeglasses.
Rosie’s Place 889 Harrison Avenue Boston,MA 02118
(617) 442-9322 www.rosiesplace.org
Rosie’s Place
from the founder
Just as our guests’ eyeglasses are often lost or stolen and too expensive to replace—so too are their prescription medications. The rate of physical and
psychiatric ailments among the poor and homeless women we serve is exceptionally high. Fragile lifestyles and incomes often put their physical and
mental well being in jeopardy. A large number of our guests suffer from depression, schizophrenia, diabetes and hypertension and require regular
medication to remain healthy and stabilized. This means that any gap in their medication could lead to a significant setback to their health and living and/
or working situation. Rosie’s Place strives to bridge this gap by assisting our guest with their prescription costs, usually co-payments ranging from $1 to
$3. For this small dollar amount – hospitalization, unemployment and often eviction can be avoided
For many of us, loss of eyeglasses or lack of prescriptions might be a frustration – for guests of Rosie’s Place, it could be the beginning of larger health
problems. By taking the time to help our guests with “little things” we are helping them down the road to a healthy life.
u ‘11
winter newsletter
from the executive director
sue marsh
The words are said with a broad smile, as the guest shows off a scarf she’s
knitting – something she learned at Rosie’s Place. Another day, my
co-worker points out two guests playing Mancala on a make-shift game
table we’ve set up in the sitting room, and loaded with cards, puzzles,
games and sketch pads. “They’re still playing, even though the volunteer
had to leave.”
“From the
monumental
to the routine,
you support our
efforts to make
our guests lives
healthy, strong
and dignified.”
Gerald Brenen, a writer and historian from
Spain wrote “We are closer to the ants than
the butterflies. Very few people can endure
much leisure.”The boredom and ennui that
comes from not having a home is one of
the hidden difficulties of being homeless.
For some of Rosie’s Place’s guests – those
too disabled or addicted or mentally ill to
work or go to school – the day stretches
endlessly. The hours with nothing to fill
them weighs on the spirit. Nothing to do?
To busy people, it sounds glorious. For
some of our guests, it is another reminder
of a stalled life.
With the Women’s Education Center, the workshops of the Arts Initiative,
and the Women’s Craft Cooperative, Rosie’s Place provides outlets for
women who can commit to classes or work. To fill the gap for other guests
not yet ready for these services, Rosie’s Place’s front office staff have led
the way to provide low-demand activities and talks for the women who
hang out in our sitting room, whiling away the hours. We now host talks
by our health providers from our Wellness Center, and activities led by
Arts Coordinator Alev Danis. Sandy and her advocate colleagues present
talks on issues ranging from bedbugs to negotiating with a cell phone
company. And our Friendly Visitor program offers cards, games and puzzles
to women who have literally nothing but time on their hands. For some
women, it can be the first peek out of the cold, hard shell they’ve built
around themselves.
Our wonderful friends and supporters know that Rosie’s Place offers many
sorts of programs, services and activities for our guests. Some are life
saving – Overnight shelter. Some are life advancing – the Women’s
Education Center. And some are life affirming. Our sitting room activities
fall squarely in this camp, and for understanding the need for every one
of these efforts, you have our great thanks. From the monumental to the
routine, you support our efforts to make our guests’ lives healthy, strong
and dignified. Thank you so much!
ROSIE’S PLACE NEWS is a quarterly publication designed to inform our friends
about the many activities happening in our community at Rosie’s Place. Our
Holiday Wrap Up
The Holiday season is one of the busiest times at Rosie’s Place.
While staff works hard to help guests every day, the holidays
add another level of anxiety to guests’ already stressful lives.
Fortunately Rosie’s Place has wonderful friends who help us to make
the holidays special for guests.
This Thanksgiving, the dining room served three meals to over 350
women with the help of 40 volunteers. Lee Frechette and her family,
longtime friends and supporters, sponsored Thanksgiving dinner
this year.
Celtics center Kendrick Perkins dropped by in December and joined
staffers from Old Mutual Asset Management to serve lunch meals to
our guests and their children. Perkins had served dinner at Rosie’s
Place last spring and enjoyed it so much he came back again – this
time he even helped wash the dishes!
Couponing
to Contribute
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FOUNDER Kip Tiernan
To help support Rosie’s Place or to make address changes,
DIRECTOR OF VOLUNTEER SERVICES Marty Wengert
EDITOR Lori M. LaDuke
COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT Lisa Newman
DESIGN Yino Wang
2
rosie’s place
Sue Marsh, Angela Menino,
Diane Patrick & Gloria Larson
Boston Celtics’ center Kendrick Perkins
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Sue Marsh
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Lori M. LaDuke
A special thanks goes out to our headlining sponsors: Citizens
Bank, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Foundation, Liberty
Mutual, and New Balance for helping to make this year’s
Funny Women... Serious Business such a success!
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women to maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security in their lives.
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Leemarie Mosca
More than 1,300 supporters attended this year’s annual Funny Women...
Serious Business luncheon this past October and raised $450,000 for the guests
of Rosie’s Place, making it the most successful luncheon yet.
More than 1,250 toys were donated to the Rosie’s Place toy store this
year. Women shopped at our toy store and selected gifts for
their children. Special thanks to our friends at Bloomingdale’s
for donating gift baskets for each of the women in our overnight
shelter and permanent residences; and to IMP Consulting for
providing holiday gifts to our guests as well.
mission is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for poor and homeless
please contact the Development Office at: (617) 442-9322.
Funny Women Do Some Serious
Business to Help Rosie’s Place
Rosie’s Place
development officer Benjamin Weisman
with Chapman Construction Field Operations Supervisor,
Jim Ciaccio and Administrative Marketing Assistant, Michele
Blair. Ciaccio and Blair dressed as Santa and his helper to
deliver toys collected by Chapman employees for Rosie’s Place.
Organizations, corporations, and individuals donated 1,250
toys to the Rosie’s Place toy store this year.
At Rosie’s Place, “giving” has many definitions.
For some, giving means serving food in
the dining room. For others, giving means
purchasing products from the Women’s
Craft Cooperative. For Laura Houseman,
giving took on another meaning. Beginning
in July, Houseman decided she would set a
goal of $2,000 worth of products to donate
to Rosie’s Place by the end of the year.
However, because she wanted to donate
in an innovative and smart way, her goal was
to use coupons and in-store discounts to purchase these items for free.
She called the project “the coupon experiment” and says she was inspired by
a similar experiment called the “penny experiment” based on the idea of using
loose change to raise large amounts of money.
Houseman chose Rosie’s Place because she believes in helping
women maintain their dignity. She also says that she was “impressed
by the services that Rosie’s Place offers, especially the homelessness
prevention and education programs.” The items she purchase ranged
from toiletries, to cereal, to gloves and hats. Houseman has far
surpassed her goal. In October she delivered $2,016 worth of groceries and
home items to Rosie’s Place. Since then, she has purchased another $3,500
worth of merchandise for Rosie’s Place. Throughout the process she
has spent a mere $37 by relying on coupons, mail-in rebates, and
in-store rewards. Houseman’s experiment proves that with creativity, a little can
go a long way!
Sue Marsh, Maria Stephanos, Kim Khazei,
Susan Wornick, Lisa Hughes & Kate Merrill
Laura Houseman delivering the first
of her donations to Rosie’s Place
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winter ‘11
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