A Home for the Holidays: A Family Reunited

WINTER 2013
A Home for the Holidays: A Family Reunited
Q & A with Erin Miller, Advocacy Manager
Our Executive Director on Defying Expectations
Become a Friend for All Seasons in 2014
NEWS
6 Ways to Give This Holiday Season
Community of Friends at Funny Women...
Serious Business
Winter Wish List and Button Box
A Home for the Holidays:
A Family Reunited
Q&A
ERIN MILLER
ADVOCACY MANAGER
In what ways does the
cold weather affect our guests?
For homeless women, this can be a really scary
time. It is just not safe to spend extended time
outside when the temperatures drop. Finding
shelter every night can be a full time job, and
beds become even more scarce. It’s too cold
to walk but many women can’t afford public
transportation to get to appointments, go to
work or run necessary errands. Women who
are housed face larger utility bills and often
have to make hard choices such as cutting
their food budget to stay warm. For women
who have mental health issues, the lack of
sunlight in winter increases depression and
then isolation. The winter holidays bring extra
pressure to provide gifts and big meals for
family, which makes the reality of having little
money tougher to bear. And if you are not
connected to family, holidays can be a very
lonely time.
What does Rosie’s Place
do differently in the winter months?
Our Advocates give out coats, sweaters,
hats, scarves, gloves and mittens. We keep
our Outreach Van running year-round, handing
out blankets, warm clothing, soup and coffee
along with our usual items. The stays for our
Overnight guests are extended beyond the
usual 21 days and festive activities are planned
to create a sense of community and positive
holiday experiences. In the event of severe
weather, we welcome a limited number of
women to stay overnight in our Sitting Room.
We continue to stay open and serve meals
every day, no matter the weather. Advocates
also direct women to other agencies and
resources for items like free turkeys.
How can others—our partner organizations,
donors, volunteers—help at this time?
People can donate items on our Wish List
(page 4) or engage in some of the Ways to
Give outlined on page 3. When our women
receive gifts, they feel appreciated and less
alone. We are grateful for the outpouring of
support now and we also ask that people keep
us in mind after the holidays, when winter really
sets in. Taking the time to smile and say “hello”
to our guests is so important, remembering
that this can be a tough time for lots of people.
July 18, 2011. That date is forever etched in Saundra
Greene’s memory: it was the day she and her teenage son–
homeless and unable to find a place that would take them
both–had to split up. It also marks the first time Saundra
came to Rosie’s Place. She got a bed in our Overnight
Program on that very first morning and almost immediately,
she started the long process that would lead her, this
holiday season, to a new home and reunion with her son.
Over the years Saundra had survived domestic violence,
unemployment, even the death of her elder son, and she
tried to summon that strength in the face of losing her
home. She and her youngest, Jourdan, 16, had been living
in a government-assisted apartment in Taunton and when
they had to leave the area for a few months, the electric bill
was not paid on time. That was enough to terminate their
housing. They both moved in with Saundra’s sister in Boston
but space and resources were tight and they weren’t able
to stay there long. After a few months, Jourdan went to live
at his father’s house and Saundra found her way to Rosie’s
Place.
“
This Christmas will be the most
important one we’ve ever had
because we are so thankful for
the opportunity for another
chance, a new beginning… Since
we’ve been in our new home,
every day feels like Christmas.
Saundra
“
Erin Miller, who joined Rosie’s Place two
years ago, oversees a multi-lingual department
of Advocates and several partners from
external agencies who provide services on
site. Each month we assist more than 500
women with housing, health care, educational
and employment opportunities, legal advice,
referrals and more. The winter months present
unique challenges for the women we serve.
“From the minute I walked into the lobby and saw the light
from the skylight, I knew I was going to be ok,” Saundra
says. “Rosie’s Place gave me a whole different perspective
on being homeless.”
For the next two years Saundra moved among Rosie’s Place
and other shelters in the city, but always returned here to
meet with Advocates, have a meal, and join in classes in the
arts@rosiesplace program. She sent out multiple housing
applications every week and was dogged in following up on
every lead. “I believed I would be housed again, as long as I
put the work in,” Saundra says. “No one else was going to do
it for you.” She says the hardest part was being separated
from her son. “I especially missed being able to give him a
hug every night at bedtime,” she remembers.
Her prospects for a two-bedroom apartment brightened
this spring thanks to the housing search specialist Rosie’s
Place employs from HomeStart. Saundra applied for and
received a voucher that she could use to pay her monthly
rent once she had located a suitable apartment. Because
Saundra is so connected to Rosie’s Place–she still visits
almost daily for meals and activities–she searched in
the surrounding neighborhood and found a place within
walking distance. Saundra had been able to store very few
possessions when she became homeless, so Rosie’s Place
and HomeStart were instrumental in helping her locate and
then transport furniture to her new apartment. She and her
son Jourdan would be together again.
Reunited
After only a short time, Saundra’s tidy, sunny home looks
lived in, brightened by animal print rugs and the presence
of two pets–a parrot and a cat.
Jourdan is now 18 years old and a senior at ABCD University
High School, a small, alternative school that is the perfect
fit for him. The period of displacement and separation
from his mom was difficult, as he quickly moved from his
dad’s house to a number of other arrangements until he
settled with a family friend in Boston. Changing schools so
often disrupted his progress and he got to the point where
he “didn’t want to try anymore.” But the stability Jourdan
found now that he is back with his mother and in the new
school has helped turn things around. He is performing at
his grade level and on track to graduate in the spring, with
plans to enlist in the Air Force. This experience has taught
Jourdan patience and self-control. “I took my life day by day,
one step at a time because I had learned that things could
change in an instant,” Jourdan says.
“This Christmas will be the most important one we’ve ever
had,” Saundra says, “because we are so thankful for the
opportunity for another chance, a new beginning. Last year
my son opened his gifts as we sat in a restaurant. This year
we’ll cook our favorite dishes together in our own kitchen.”
She adds, “Since we’ve been in our new home, every day
feels like Christmas.”
Our Executive Director
on Defying expectations
“Tonight I was on the [Outreach] van to let people know about the legal
center at Rosie’s Place. I ended up spending most of the night handing
out food and just listening to people’s stories…on the way back to
campus, I thought hard about what access to lawyers could do for these
[poor] communities, and struggled. For most, the justice system has served
as a violent and punishing structure maintaining their marginalized societal
status with seemingly endless force…Nevertheless knowledge about
available legal remedies and tools…could initiate the process of a life out
of poverty and violence. I also realized again that often the most significant
benefit of all these programs was the small opportunity to treat these
individuals with dignity and kindness, especially when the rest of the day
society actively worked to ignore them.”
Dear Friends:
It’s said we make a living by what
we get, but we make a life by
what we give. By supporting
Rosie’s Place and its guests–
through your gifts of time and
energy and talent, your financial gifts, your
fond
wishes and your steadfast commitment–you are making a
life that’s larger by the moment. You have our great thanks
Sima Atri, Harvard Law School student doing an independent clinical
placement at Rosie’s Place, excerpted from an opinion piece, “Reflecting on
Legal Education from the Back of an Outreach Van,” published in The Harvard
Law Record, October 21, 2013.
Sima
for joining us in our efforts to alleviate suffering and craft
solutions for poor and homeless women.
“Being homeless, even though it feels traumatic,
apparently isn’t the absolute worst thing that can happen
to you in your life, if you’ve got the right kind of people
around you. Coming to Rosie’s Place, I get those people
around me. I’m not criticized, it’s not negative here; you’re
not looked down on. They give you the tools to build
yourself back up.”
If you’ve visited Rosie’s Place, you know we look at our
world with clear eyes. We acknowledge that coming to
Rosie’s Place is for most of our guests an admission of
defeat. For her, that first day in our community is probably
one of her worst days. She arrives considering herself
a collection of problems, of faults–homeless, hungry,
Brandey D., a guest featured in a video about her journey that was
shown at the Funny Women…Serious Business luncheon, sharing
the positive impact Rosie’s Place has had on her life.
jobless, addicted, ill. Right from the start, we work to turn
that around, to hold in our hearts the image of a strong and
dignified woman who can make decisions that help her
go where she wants to go. While we provide resources
and information, we also provide the message that every
woman is a resourceful individual whose past and present
need not be her limits. We strive to hold that image
QUOTABLE
Brandey
regardless of the setbacks our guests face along the way.
We know, too, that second chances–sometimes lots
of second chances–have to be a part of life. Because
they live with so little, there’s no room for error in our
guests’ lives. Budgets are precarious, as are jobs and
apartments. One misstep can lead to a fall from grace that
is spectacular not only in its speed but in its magnitude.
At Rosie’s Place, we understand that the solutions for our
guests are found over the long term, and are often more
piecemeal than complete. We stand by our guests for as
“Because you are here today, I know you understand that many women
in today’s world are finding themselves displaced and in need of services.
Maybe they’ve gone through a divorce or catastrophic medical problem, which
drained all their savings. Fortunately they have Rosie’s Place where they get
so much more than a handout—they get a helping hand and the support they
need… So from the bottom of our hearts, Tom and I would like to say thank
you for your support of Rosie’s Place.”
Angela Menino, First Lady of Boston, excerpted from remarks delivered at the
Funny Women…Serious Business luncheon on October 15, 2013.
Mrs. Menino
long as they need in order to make a difference.
How do we have the nerve to think that, by imagining
change and success for each of our guests, justice is
squarely ahead of us?
I think the answer at Rosie’s Place is that we believe that
within every guest there is something that refuses to be
defined by the circumstances she finds herself in. I think
the answer at Rosie’s Place is that we put our whole heart
into defying expectations. And, after all, a positive attitude
may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough
people to make it worth the effort.
We invite you to refuse to be defined, to defy expectations,
to annoy others with your positive attitude, and to assert
that together, we can make justice happen. This is truly the
way to make our sanctuary for poor and homeless women
a model for everyone in our Commonwealth.
We hope with all our hearts that the coming year is the
Resolve to Become a
Friend for All Seasons in 2014
Start the new year right by joining our monthly giving club, Friends for All Seasons. In 2014, our 40th anniversary year,
we have set a goal of recruiting 40 new friends. With your help, we can do it!
Friends for All Seasons is an easy and convenient way to support Rosie’s Place year-round through automatic charges to a
credit card or checking account. Your monthly gift provides steady and dependable funding that enables us to better meet
the needs of our guests. Other benefits of monthly giving include:
• Administrative costs are reduced, allowing your gift to have more of an impact
• You will be kept up-to-date on our work through the Rosie’s Place newsletter
and invitations to special events but will not receive any other requests for support
• You will receive one tax receipt in January summarizing your giving for the year
• You will be able to give at a level over a 12-month period that you may not have
thought possible in a one-time donation
best ever for you and those you love. Happy holidays!
To join Friends for All Seasons, please return the form below in the enclosed envelope or enroll at rosiesplace.org/fas.
Please contact Katie Amoro at 617.318.0211 or [email protected] with any questions.
With faith,
Help us make our goal of 40 new Friends for All Seasons in 2014 and consider joining today!
Sue Marsh
YES! I would like to become a Friend for All Seasons!
Please accept my monthly gift to support the poor and homeless women of Rosie’s Place.
Rosie’s Place accepts no government
funds and relies instead on committed
supporters like you!
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 to help poor and homeless women maintain their dignity,
seek opportunity, and find security in their lives.
Executive Director Sue Marsh
Director of Development Leemarie Mosca
Director of Communications | Editor Michele Chausse
Communications Assistant | Contributor Katie Gustainis Vela
Design Big Red Chair Consulting
We’d love to hear from you! Please contact us with your
comments at 617.318.0210.
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Option 2: Electronically debit my checking account on the 1st of each month. Enclosed is a check in the
amount I would like to give each month and this check will serve as my first gift in the club.
liday
6 Ways to Give This Ho
Season
Did
K ?
You
now
October marked one year since our
Outreach Van first started making its
route through Dorchester and Roxbury. The
numbers of women approaching the van–
Winter Friends by Sharon R.
Every holiday season brings a rise in the number of
women in need, both at Rosie’s Place and in our
community. We work to brighten the season by
providing guests with holiday gifts and cold weather
essentials. There are a number of ways our generous
supporters can help us during the winter months:
3. SEND customized holiday cards
Our 10-packs ($18), variety packs ($24) and custom
orders of 50+ are available in four designs. This
year we’re featuring an exclusive illustration, Winter
Friends, by one of our guests. View designs and order
at rosiesplace.org/holidaycards.
1. COLLECT needed holiday items
Coordinate an effort with your workplace, school, or
family to collect holiday gifts for our guests. Contact
[email protected] for details. Our most-needed
items include:
4. PURCHASE gifts from our store
Need that special holiday gift? Why not make a
difference while you shop by purchasing an ornament,
necklace, key chain, bookmark or more from our
Women’s Craft Cooperative at rosiesplace.org/wcc.
• $25 gift cards (Old Navy, Walgreens, Payless,
Bed, Bath & Beyond, CVS, etc.)
• Lotion and body spray gift sets
• Comforters, blankets, and sheets
• Movie passes
• Make-up or beauty products
• Full-size toiletries
2. VOLUNTEER to wrap gifts with us
Help wrap gifts at the Cambridgeside Galleria Mall
between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with proceeds
supporting Rosie’s Place. To sign up, contact Marty
Wengert at [email protected].
5. BENEFIT Rosie’s Place with an event
Consider hosting a WCC craft fair (contact
[email protected] to schedule). Or make
Rosie’s Place the beneficiary of your community event
or holiday gathering. Contact kamoro@rosiesplace.
org for details.
6. DONATE at RosiesPlace.org/give
Visit rosiesplace.org/give to fund our vital
programs and services for 12,000 women
each year. A monthly donation supports
Rosie’s Place’s work year-round!
some with young children–increased greatly
over the course of the year. When it started
a year ago, van staff were reaching out to 50
women each month; since then that number
has grown immensely, and they are now
connecting with as many as 340 women
in that same time period. Many of these
women have come from the streets and into
Rosie’s Place, where they are now receiving
safe shelter, housing assistance and other
services. We thank everyone who contributed
to our summer fundraising campaign for the
van, helping us raise $100,000 to receive a
$25,000 challenge grant from a generous
friend.
Communityof
Friends
Rosie’s Place food program introduced
a breakfast meal in September and
the dining room is now serving three meals
Monday-Friday and continuing with lunch and
dinner service on weekends. This nutritious
and satisfying meal includes a choice of yogurt,
fruit, oatmeal toast, orange juice, and the
all-important morning coffee. The breakfast
program was well-received from the start and
From left, media women Kim Khazei, Kate Merrill, Lisa Hughes, emcee Susan Wornick and Sorboni Banerjee
(far right) join headliner Joy Behar, Executive Director Sue Marsh and Olympian Kayla Harrison in celebrating our work.
is now serving close to 300 breakfasts every
week. It is appreciated by women living on the
We are thrilled that our annual Funny Women…Serious
Business luncheon on October 15 raised more than
$475,000 to support our vital work with poor and
homeless women. The sold-out event at the Hynes
Convention Center brought together 1,500 corporate
sponsors and individual supporters who also generously
contributed to a centerpiece raffle that raised more than
$143,000. “The spirit of Rosie’s Place is matched only
by the courage of our guests and the generosity of our
supporters,” said Rosie’s Place Executive Director Sue
Marsh. “Thank you for reaching out and creating justice.”
street and those staying in other shelters, who
often must skip the most important meal of
the day.
Close to 100 poor and homeless women
attended a Rosie’s Place-organized
April Riccio, Public Relations Manager of Neiman
Marcus Natick, centerpiece sponsor, (left) and
Melissa MacDonnell, Vice President and Corporate
Affairs Director of Liberty Mutual, presenting sponsor,
announce the centerpiece raffle winner.
candidate forum on October 24. Our Public
Policy program hosted the eight Boston City
Council At-Large Candidates for a panel
discussion of questions posed by Rosie’s
Joy Behar entertained the crowd with funny stories from her
international travels.
WCVB-TV’s Susan Wornick proved the expert
emcee, Boston’s media women added so much
emotion to the program, and comedian Joy Behar
left the audience laughing. Rosie’s Place is grateful
for the underwriting of headlining sponsor Liberty
Mutual, presenting centerpiece sponsor Neiman
Marcus Natick, and leading sponsors Boston
Interiors, Christina and Michael Gordon, Harvard
Pilgrim Health Care and Pioneer Investments.
Place guests and women from the community.
Candidates
responded
to
questions
concerning affordable housing availability, job
opportunities for single women, and support
and safety for homeless women and families.
BUTTON BOX
Holiday time offers the ideal opportunity to support Rosie’s Place with
the purchase of gift items or gorgeous jewelry. You can choose from an
array of attractive key chains, bookmarks, purse hangers and our popular
bead ornament. And we’re sure you’ll find something for everyone on your
list from our wide selection of statement
necklaces, pendants, cuff bracelets,
earrings and pins.
winter
This year’s special holiday item is the
Magnifier Necklace, priced at only $44.
With a 1.6” magnifying glass, it is both
beautiful and functional. It is adorned with
Czech glass beads on a 35” antique chain
with either a silver or brass finish.
WISH LIST
As the days turn shorter and the weather turns colder,
Rosie’s Place aims to provide our guests with warmth
and comfort they can count on. The most-needed items
this winter include:
You can shop the Women’s Craft
Cooperative online at rosiesplace.org/
wcc, make an appointment to visit our
boutique or meet our artisans and shop at
the annual holiday fair at South Station,
December 18 from 10am - 4pm.
• Winter gear to fight the cold: Hats, gloves, sweaters,
scarves, mittens, socks, large coats, fleeces, and
sweatshirts
• Hot drinks to warm the soul: Coffee mugs, individual
packets of hot chocolate, tea bags, and instant coffee
• Everyday essentials: Blankets, throws, comforters,
toiletries, feminine hygiene products, wet wipes,
toothbrushes, and deodorant
DATE
with us as we celebrate 40 years of shelter, sanctuary and
service in 2014. Email a short written remembrance to
[email protected] and it may appear on our
website or in our Spring 2014 newsletter. Thank you for being
part of our mission as we go forward into our 5th decade!
31 Nights of Light
WBUR’s “A Christmas Carol”
Safe and Sound Gala
Join Trenni Kusnierek of Comcast
SportsNet as we “flip the switch” at
5pm on December 10 to light the top
of the Prudential Tower “Rosie’s Place
pink.” The fun doesn’t stop there! Shop
that evening with special discounts and
make a $25 holiday donation to Rosie’s
Place to receive an exclusive gift bag
from Sephora and the Women’s Craft
Cooperative, along with an invitation to a
VIP after-party at Lolita Cocina & Tequila
Bar. To make your donation or for more
information, visit rosiesplace.org/31nights
or contact Katie Amoro at 617.318.0211
or [email protected].
Experience a Boston holiday tradition
at WBUR 90.9 FM’s 11th annual
reading of the Charles Dickens classic,
A Christmas Carol. Join your favorite
WBUR personalities at Boston’s
historic Omni Parker House, the site
of Dickens’ first reading, as they bring
this timeless tale to life. Tickets are $50
and all proceeds benefit Rosie’s Place.
For more information or to purchase
tickets, visit rosiesplace.org/wbur.
Mark your calendar for our
40th anniversary celebration
of food, friends and philanthropy,
the Safe and Sound gala. 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 sponsorship
information, please contact Benjamin
Weisman at 617.318.0232 or
[email protected].
December 10, 2013, 5:00-10:00pm
The Shops at Prudential Center, Boston
SAVE THE
Please share your memories of Rosie’s Place
40
Through your generosity, we can continue to make the
cold months a little warmer for our guests. All donations
can be dropped off at Rosie’s Place between 8:30 a.m.
and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Directions to our
889 Harrison Avenue location can be found at www.
rosiesplace.org or by calling 617.442.9322. Thank you
for supporting us in this way!
And don’t forget to visit J. Jill stores this
month to purchase bracelets specially
designed for the retailer, with a portion of
the sales benefitting Rosie’s Place.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013, 7:00pm
Omni Parker House, Boston
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
WGBH Studios, Brighton
www.rosiesplace.org
889 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02118
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