WINTER 2024
The Gift of Being Home for the Holidays Q & A with our Evening & Weekend Manager
Our President on Giving Support and Comfort, Hope and Love
How You Can Support Us this Holiday Season
Join Us for A Christmas Carol on December 18th
Q&A
In 2019, Jennifer Guzman began volunteering in our Dining Room and Food Pantry. Soon after, she joined our staff fulltime working in the Food Pantry where she was quickly promoted to managing the busy and high-demand program. Over the past four years, she has overseen its tremendous growth, and in November, Jennifer took on a new role, becoming our first Evening and Weekend Manager.
Your role has really evolved since you started here as a volunteer. Have you seen Rosie’s Place evolve, too?
Yes, definitely! When I started working in the Food Pantry, we were serving about 100 women each day with guests coming through one-at-a-time to select their groceries. We were always busy. But then the pandemic hit and the need for the Pantry skyrocketed! The challenge was how to serve even more women while also keeping folks safe with social distancing. For a time, we distributed groceries in our parking lot. Now, we have reinvented our delivery model completely and tripled the Pantry’s capacity. Through our walk-up Pantry window on Harrison Avenue, every day we provide 350 women with fresh produce, meat, dairy, shelf-stable items, household essentials and even toiletries.
What excites you about your new role as our Evening and Weekend Manager?
For the Rosie’s Place community, I think it’s a really exciting time. As part of our strategic plan, we’re growing all our programs by 25%. We will extend our hours so that we’re open from 7:00am to 7:00pm every day of the week. Right now, I’m kind of our ambassador for this new schedule, spreading the word of our growth plans to both new and longtime guests, and figuring out ways we can add services to the evenings and weekends. Extending our days and hours of programming means women who are working during the day, in school or taking care of loved ones will have greater access to our help. Now, more women will be able to come in and connect with an Advocate, use our laundry room or a computer, or take a hot shower. I’m already seeing new faces, and I know we are only going to get busier. I’m really enjoying the opportunity to have conversations with guests beyond the Pantry window.
What keeps you at Rosie’s Place?
The mission. We are always growing and changing to better serve our community, and I love that. Being able to help our guests means the world to me.
The Gift of Being Home for the Holidays
Judy is no stranger to struggle. When her husband left her to raise their young daughter, Sarah, on her own, Judy made many sacrifices, making do on her one paycheck to make sure that Sarah had all that she needed. Without her parents or extended family nearby, Judy, who struggles with diabetes, relied on neighbors and friends for support during Sarah’s childhood. It was difficult and there were many challenges and setbacks over the years, but Judy managed to get by.
For years, Judy’s health was stable and so was her job as an administrative assistant with a construction company. Sarah was on track to graduate from high school in two years and was looking forward to being the first in her family to go to college. And then the unthinkable happened. On her way to work one morning, Judy was in a car accident that left her hospitalized for weeks. Her injuries were severe, and her recovery was difficult. Out of work for two months, Judy returned to work part-time at first and was building her way back to full-time.
This hardship was compounded when the landlord raised her rent and the family’s savings quickly dwindled.
Judy fell behind in her rent and was wracked with fear. Eviction seemed imminent. And then a neighbor told her about Rosie’s Place. She called our Advocacy Helpline and the very next day, came in to meet with one of our Advocates. Through our eviction prevention efforts, we were able to assist Judy with her back rent. Further,
our Legal Advocates reached out to her landlord and negotiated a payment plan that would allow Judy and Sarah to stay in their apartment as Judy increased her hours at work.
Judy told our team, “You all have been so incredibly kind to me. I never thought I would need to ask strangers for this much help. But you never made me feel judged or even like a stranger. I can’t thank you enough for being there for my daughter and me. You’ve given us our home back, and we are so grateful.”
Today, Judy visits our Food Pantry weekly to help offset the high cost of groceries. And when she does, she often visits the nurses in our Wellness Center who help her monitor her sugar levels and navigate the many physical therapy appointments still needed for her full recovery from her accident.
Over the holidays, Rosie’s Place will be there again, to brighten the family’s celebrations with all the fixings for a holiday meal from our Food Pantry, holiday gifts, care packages and winter coats for mother and daughter.
Judy tells us she is feeling stronger every day and Sarah is thriving! Taking honors classes, working part-time and starting to look at colleges, the teen’s future is bright. Says Judy, “This year and every year after, we will be thankful for everyone at Rosie’s Place and all the love you have shown us.”
How We’re Keeping More Women Housed & Stable
Rosie’s Place offers multiple pathways to help women achieve stability in their lives, from addressing rent and utility hardships to finding housing or to navigating our complicated legal system. Recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to poverty and homelessness, we support every woman who needs us for as long as she needs us. Our help is given with kindness and without conditions.
Last year alone, our team of multi-lingual Advocates completed more than 30,000 visits with guests, both on-site and through our Advocacy Helpline, assisting them with rent and utility arrearages, accessing shelter, transportation needs or plans to achieve stable housing. With our help, 2,014 women and their children remained housed through our eviction prevention services, an increase of 24% from the previous year.
Over 12 months, the Housing Stabilization home-visiting program supported 58 newly housed women and women at risk of eviction through regular home visits and consistent contact with property owners and management companies, keeping 100% of these guests housed and healthy. Our team assisted with support services such as funding for back rent and utilities, furniture, referrals to behavioral health programs and housing court assistance.
Through our Legal Program, we provide in-person and remote legal services in areas of family law, immigration, employment and housing. Working in partnership with Greater Boston Legal Services and Rian Immigrant Center, last year we assisted 1,100 guests.
JENNIFER GUZMAN EVENING & WEEKEND MANAGER
Our President on
Dear Friend,
Winter’s chill lays bare the vulnerability of the women we serve with a cold that can sink into one’s body, mind and spirit.
Frigid temperatures make the streets all the more perilous for homeless women. And the high costs of staying housed and warm jeopardize the fragile stability of women living in poverty. Many will have to choose between paying rent or eating dinner. Keeping the lights on or buying a holiday gift.
More women are counting on us for their most basic and critical needs. Thanks to friends like you, Rosie’s Place gives support and comfort.
It could be a warm coat, hat and gloves given to a guest in our Day Shelter. A hearty meal served to a mother and her children in our Dining Room. New pajamas and a safe, cozy bed made up in our Overnight Shelter for a woman who spent the night before in the bus station. And by providing rental and utility assistance for hundreds of women this winter, we will help them stay housed and healthy, knowing the security and comfort of their own homes.
Every day, we meet women in crisis, in despair. Struggling to maintain their sobriety, job, housing or their hard-won footing in a new country. With the expert and unwavering support of our Legal, Behavioral Health, Employment and Housing Specialists, we help our guests attain stability and seek opportunity. Because our help comes without eligibility requirements or an expiration date. Rather it comes with compassion and kindness. Rosie’s Place gives hope.
Over this holiday season, poor and homeless women may feel alone, even invisible. But at Rosie’s Place, they will feel the warm embrace of community and a sense of belonging. From celebrations in our Dining Room to holiday gifts and groceries distributed through our Food Pantry, to the comfort of a listening ear and encouraging words, our guests will know they are cared for.
Today and tomorrow, Rosie’s Place will give the women who turn to us, all of our love.
And as you read about on page one—in the months and years ahead—we will grow all our programs by 25%. So that we will provide sanctuary, support and opportunity to thousands more women in need.
For 50 years, we have given our hearts to this work, and you have given us yours. It is your friendship that moves our mission forward.
It is your generosity that brings support and comfort, hope and love to the women who need it most. For this you have my deepest gratitude.
My heartfelt best wishes for the holiday season,
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 to maintain their dignity, seek opportunity, and find security in their lives.
OUR VISION is based on the words of our founder, Kip Tiernan: “Never forget that charity is scraps from the table and justice is a seat at the table. Charity is giving to others what belongs to you. Justice is giving others what belongs to them.”
At Rosie’s Place, we believe diversity, equity and inclusion are core components of justice. We commit to acting on a daily basis to dismantle injustice to ensure that opportunities and equitable outcomes are available to all members of our community regardless of individual characteristics including race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation or perceived ability.
President/CEO Leemarie Mosca
Chief External Relations Officer Sue Chandler
Director of Communications/Editor Jamie Doyle
Digital Communications Manager/Contributor Leah Westberry
Communications Associate/Contributor Anna McCracken
Design Colette O’Neill
We’d love to hear from you! Please contact us with your comments at jdoyle@rosiesplace.org or 617.318.0265.
Support Rosie’s Place this Holiday Season
Support Rosie’s Place this Holiday Season
Give to Rosie’s Place Visit rosiesplace org/give to support our vital programs and services for over 12,000 women each year with a one-time gift or monthly donation that funds our work year-round!
custom link to your fundraiser
Honor Someone Special In lieu of holiday parties or presents, consider making a tribute donation to Rosie’s Place in honor of a friend, family member or co-worker Save on postage Rosie’s Place notifies your honoree on your behalf Give at rosiesplace org/tribute
“Our duty in being alive is caring for each other and recognizing that we are all equals who deserve the same opportunities.”
Excerpted from remarks made by activist and New York Times best-selling author Stephanie Land, featured speaker at our Funny Women… Serious Business luncheon in October.
Scan the code to support the women and work of Rosie’s Place this season!
“I never thought I would be homeless. If I hadn’t come to Rosie’s Place, I don’t know where I would be. Rosie’s Place is a home away from home. It’s peace of mind. It’s opportunity. Rosie’s Place put me right on a straight line. I took that path, and it means everything to me. And I’m still going. I’m excited for everything that life has to offer me.”
Excerpted from Kaceann’s poignant story of becoming homeless in Boston after fleeing her abuser. When she came to Rosie’s Place, she found the sanctuary and support she needed. Kaceann shared the story of her journey at our Funny Women…Serious Business luncheon.
As a young nurse I began my career at Boston City Hospital in the early 1970s. Before long many of my patients were telling me about Rosie’s Place and Kip Tiernan. I worked at City Hospital for almost 30 years and frequently witnessed the positive changes Rosie’s Place made in so many of my patients’ lives. They felt safe and respected during their affiliation with Kip and her staff…I believe Rosie’s Place changes the lives of the women who find their way to your door.
Memories of Rosie’s Place’s early days from longtime friend Janet Forbes
Leemarie Mosca
FRIENDS COMMUNITY OF
We are grateful to our loyal catering group affectionately known as “the Medfielders” for the energy and good humor they bring to their work in our Dining Room. In the words of one Medfielder, “We’re a group of retirees who feel that volunteering at Rosie’s Place is both rewarding and enjoyable…despite the fatigue our 70+ year-old bodies feel by the end of the day!”
On October 15th, our amazing community came together for our annual fundraising luncheon Funny Women…Serious Business and celebrated 50 years of turning hope into help at Rosie’s Place. Held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center with 1,200 supporters in attendance, this entertaining and inspiring afternoon raised a record-breaking $1,000,000 for our life-changing work.
Longtime Rosie’s Place friends, Susan Wornick and WCVB’s Karen Holmes Ward co-hosted the event with speaker Stephanie Land, an activist and acclaimed author whose New York Times bestselling memoir, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive, was adapted into a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-nominated series on Netflix. This event was made possible through the support of Presenting Sponsors Bank of America, Cherise and Robert Bransfield, G-P, Christina and
Michael Gordon, Erin O’Connor Kent and Patrick Kent, Jane and Joe Kringdon, Kristen and John Maxwell, Michele May and David Walt, Bob and Christa Murray, New Balance Foundation and Deb and Mark Pasculano; Presenting Centerpiece Sponsor Neiman Marcus; and Leading Sponsors Christy and Jay Cashman, Elaine Construction Company/Lisa Wexler and Tom Monroe, Forest Foundation, Lee and Peter Frechette, The Gilson Family Foundation, Thuy and Tuan Ha-Ngoc, Beth Edwards Harris, Highland Partners Charitable Fund, Linda and Joseph Hooley, Stacy Madison and Pinkham Busny LLP.
Special guests included Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll; Mayor Michelle Wu; Latoyia Edwards, NBC10 Boston; Rachel Keller, Boston 25 News; Yadires Nova-Salcedo, Encuentro Latino; and Amaka Ubaka, 7News WHDH/WLVI.
Rosie’s Place accepts no government funds and relies instead on committed supporters like you!
? Did you know
For many of our guests, access to technology can be a barrier to job opportunities. Our Employment Specialist has launched a new partnership with a home health aide program that conducts their classes remotely. With support from Rosie’s Place, guests will be working towards earning their Home Health Aide certificates.
The Rosie’s Place community loves to sing! We regularly host afternoon karaoke for our guests and from oldies to rock n’ roll, it hits all the right notes. We love amplifying the voices of the women we serve.
We began a composting program in our Dining Room. Composting reduces waste, enriches soil and lowers our environmental footprint. By composting, we transform food scraps into valuable resources.
In November, our Senior Director of Emergency Services Orialis Maxwell spoke with Karlo Reyes on Contigo en la Comunidad, a weekly television show that magnifies the dynamic tapestry of the Latin community across the nation, about the many ways Rosie’s Place is growing to meet our guests’ growing needs.
Students in our Women’s Education Center will be taking part in a Writing Café this winter! Through poetry, essay and memoir, our ESOL students will practice their English as they explore the theme of what connects us, from culture to technology to family and friends.
Our Legal Program is working with our partner, the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, to best meet the complex legal needs of new immigrants to our community. Through on-site clinics and our Legal Helpline, we continually work to provide welcome and support for the many newcomers who turn to us for help.
A million thanks to longtime friend Marilyn Sullivan who recently celebrated her 100th birthday and in lieu of presents, graciously requested that donations from our Wishlist be made on her behalf.
From left, Rosie’s Place President/CEO Leemarie Mosca, Susan Wornick, featured speaker Stephanie Land, and Karen Holmes Ward of WCVB
We appreciate all our friends at Fidelity Investments who recently voted for Rosie’s Place to be this year’s recipient of their associate-led YOUR CHOICE grant in the Boston community! This support enables us to do more for the women who need us most.
Join us December 18th for our Annual Reading of A Christmas Carol
On December 2, 1867, Charles Dickens began his first American reading tour of A Christmas Carol in Boston. Since 2002, our friends at WBUR have hosted a reading of this timeless holiday tale to benefit the life-changing work of Rosie’s Place.
This year, the tradition will continue at WBUR CitySpace on Wednesday, December 18th at 7:00pm.
WBUR hosts, Meghna Chakrabarti, Tiziana Dearing, Steve Brown, Robin Young and Darryl C. Murphy will bring this classic tale to life
with warmth, drama and humor. And with music from The Mistletones, the evening will be merry and bright!
Tickets for this event are $80 each and can be purchased at www.rosiesplace.org/wbur.
We hope to see you on this festive night, that’s all holiday cheer and no humbug!
If you have any questions, please contact Olivia Davis Wilson at odaviswilson@ rosiesplace.org.
Your Legacy, Her Opportunity
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• Gifts of
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• Planned Gift
You can create a better future for our guests and make an impact for years to come by including Rosie’s Place in your estate plans.
For more information, please contact Matt DeAngelis at 617.318.0294 or mdeangelis@rosiesplace.org,
Thank
the law. EIN: 04-2582187. We are proud that 85 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to services for poor and homeless women.
