50 YEARS OF TURNING HOPE HELP into
When Kip Tiernan founded Rosie’s Place in 1974, we became the first emergency shelter for women in the nation. Every day since, we have done more than make history. Thanks to the support of friends like you, every day we make a difference.
This year, with gratitude and pride, we mark 50 years of turning hope into help for poor and homeless women. We are the place women go to when they have nowhere else to turn. A place where lives are changed every day.
We hope you enjoy this special anniversary issue of Rosie’s Place News that finds us looking back at how much we have accomplished and looking ahead to how much more we will do for our guests, together with you.
With your extraordinary support we will continue to do more and be more for our guests. For as long as it’s needed, our mission of compassion will continue.
SPRING 2024
50 Years of Turning Hope Into Help
Florence’s Story
Our President on Turning Hope Into Help
A Look at Rosie’s Place Then and Now
How You Can Help
A Noteworthy Gift Idea
Safe & Sound Gala on May 8th
1974
On Easter Sunday, Kip Tiernan and four other volunteers open Rosie’s Place in an abandoned storefront on Columbus Avenue in Boston’s South End— establishing the first women-only shelter in the United States.
1977
Rosie’s Place moves to a nearby five-story building at 1662 Washington Street.
1998
The Food Pantry, which shares space with the Dining Room, continues to grow and the organization initiates plans to renovate space in the Day Shelter.
2015
Rosie’s Place adds the Legal Program and expands its Outreach Program to serve more guests in the community.
1986
After a devastating fire at 1662 Washington Street, Rosie’s Place finds its current home at 889 Harrison Avenue, expanding meal service, Advocacy programming and the Overnight Shelter.
2020
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the doors of Rosie’s Place remain open, with services continuing uninterrupted—expanding and evolving to meet the community’s increased needs. The Advocacy Helpline is established to help guests who cannot come in person and the Food Pantry doubles its impact.
2021
2004
The Homelessness Prevention Initiative launches, later transforming into what is now the Stabilization Program.
2010
Rosie’s Place acquires the building next door to its main site and opens the Women’s Education Center offering free ESOL, literacy and computer classes to hundreds of women each year.
The Food Pantry expands even further, tripling pre-pandemic capacity to address rising food insecurity, serving 350 women each day. Renovations increase Day Shelter services, allowing for more guests to be served.
2024
Rosie’s Place marks its 50th anniversary, launching a five-year strategic plan that will enable the organization to grow programs by 25% and establish a comprehensive behavioral health initiative to serve even more women in more impactful ways.
Our President on Turning Hope Into Help
Dear Friend,
For fifty years Rosie’s Place has turned compassion into action, hope into help for our community’s most vulnerable women.
As you read in a newsletter excerpt from our founder Kip Tiernan on this page, five decades ago she and her friends asked why there shouldn’t be a place for women in need, a place where they feel welcomed and safe.
Every day since that determined group of dreamers and doers opened our doors, we at Rosie’s Place have asked our guests, how can we help?
And we’ve asked ourselves how did the world get here, to this place where thousands of women are coming to us to meet some of their most basic needs, and what can we do about it? How can we better serve them to ensure they have not only what they require, but what they deserve? What action can we take together to create change? Rosie’s Place doesn’t shy away from the difficult questions, the challenges facing our guests or the long journey to justice.
We are able to do this because of you standing alongside us, asking the very same questions of our leaders and one another. Together we are able to do so much.
Because at Rosie’s Place, compassion is a verb.
When we provide a bed in our Overnight Shelter, the four-week stay is not just about survival but also about respite. How can anyone begin to think about a solution to homelessness when every day is spent finding a place to sleep that night?
When a guest meets with one of our Advocates, seeking help to forestall an eviction or apply for a green card, we never ask her how she got to this point—needing help to stay in her apartment, or stay in this country. All that matters is that she found her way to us, and we’ll help her find her way forward.
And when a guest comes to us with big aspirations and goals, we don’t find them unrealistic. Why shouldn’t she learn English at 75, or expect to live in a place of her own or find a job that pays enough to support her family? Why shouldn’t our guests wish the same for their lives as we hope for ourselves, for our sisters, for our mothers, for our daughters? It is our privilege to be a part of their journeys.
As we arrive at this half-century milestone, I know the strength and generosity of this community that got us here will carry us through all that lies ahead on our path to justice for the women we serve.
Rosie’s Place has just launched a five-year strategic plan that will enable us to address the increasing and critical needs of our community and grow our services by 25%.
We will also broaden our behavioral health program to provide even more comprehensive help to our guests.
As long as we can count on your compassion, our guests can count on ours. And together, we will turn our hope into help for those who need it most.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing in the women and the work of Rosie’s Place.
With gratitude and hope,
Leemarie Mosca
QUOTABLE
In the early 1970’s Kip Tiernan learned that there was no shelter and very few services for poor and homeless women in Boston. So, together with a group of her friends, she began asking why not?
Above is Kip Tiernan at her typewriter circa 1977. Opposite is an excerpt from the newsletter Kip wrote on Rosie’s Place’s third anniversary in 1977.
“Why not a place for women? With free food, free clothes—eventually free beds but mostly a place where they could get the world off their backs, where they could be themselves, where they could expect and get some kind of dignity. A place where they would not have to pay. The poor almost always have to pay—in some way—for everything they get… A place where people did not ask a lot of embarrassing questions… A place that had color, and compassion without strings. A place that had really dynamite food…We had no food, or money or prospects but we had a helluva lot of faith in the idea that it would work… The Boston Redevelopment Authority heeded our plea and gave us an old supermarket on Columbus Avenue named Rozen’s Market. We said ‘let’s call it Rosie’s Place because we wanted a non-threatening sounding name.’
So, we opened on Easter Sunday, 1974. We painted the old place up, threw colorful prints around, turned on a stereo, got pretty flowers, turned on a couple of hot plates, the coffee pot and we were in business. Little by little the women drifted in… That first year we learned a lot about ourselves and about the women we served.”
Florence’s Story
Florence never had it easy. The oldest of 19 children, she grew up in an abusive and dysfunctional household. She got out as soon as she could. But as much as she wanted to leave the trauma behind, it chased her. For years, she battled with addiction and self-loathing.
She married young, was a mother young and lost everything she cared about again and again as a result of further violence and substance use. As she tried to forget her past, she literally moved around the world—from Worcester to Las Vegas to the Philippines to California—all the while trying to outrun the pain.
Eventually, her journey brought her back to Massachusetts, to Boston where her adult daughters and granddaughters were. But they had their own struggles and Florence didn’t want to burden them with hers. She knew she had work to do, and she also knew she needed help doing it.
Almost fifteen years ago, Florence came to Rosie’s Place as she says, “in need of three things, salvation, sobriety and shelter.” She found all these things and more.
After securing a bed in our Overnight Shelter, she began to connect to our other programs. And when Florence met our founder Kip Tiernan, she knew she had met a friend. She soon asked Kip to be her A.A. sponsor and later, Florence started leading a weekly A.A. meeting at Rosie’s Place—showing up faithfully, offering compassion, empathy and encouragement to her peers just as Kip did for her.
Over time, working with our Advocacy team and Housing Search Specialist, Florence began her journey to stability. She found her own apartment and eventually reconnected with her family.
Today, Florence is 30 years sober, a proud grandmother of four, a strong female role model to her daughters. She is fearless about confronting her history and not allowing it to define her present. She is working on her third book of personal essays and poetry, vehicles she uses to share her story with others—so she can provide the same hope she found at Rosie’s Place.
At the height of the pandemic, Florence was diagnosed with stage four cancer, and still came into Rosie’s Place every week to lead her A.A. group. Nothing holds Florence back anymore.
Scan the QR code to watch a video of Florence’s story told in her own words.
Rosie’s Place Then
and Now
Over the past five decades Rosie’s Place’s programs and services have grown and so has our impact. Today, we are helping more women in more ways than ever before. While much has changed, our commitment to providing unconditional love, help and hope to every woman who needs us for as long as she needs us—never will.
Our Team
When we opened in 1974, our staff consisted of our founder Kip Tiernan and four volunteers. Over the decades, our team and reach have only grown.
Today, we employ a staff of 98, raise a budget of $16 million and serve over 12,000 women every year.
Food brings people together. And this has always been true at Rosie’s Place. From our early days serving coffee and sandwiches in 1974 to present day as we serve more than 100,000 healthy, hearty and culturally diverse meals annually, our Dining Room is the heart and hub of Rosie’s Place.
Dining Room
It’s where our community comes together every day to prepare and enjoy nourishing meals and where we host birthday and holiday celebrations, musical performances and events. Here our guests find sustenance, connection and a sense of belonging.
our early
Education
Women have always turned to Rosie’s Place for emergency help and for support with more complex issues. Our Advocacy program was established as a one-stop-shop for women to address a wide-range of issues. Over the years, we’ve grown to now be a team of multi-lingual Advocates offering compassion, support and solutions to women in person and over the phone every day. We held almost 30,0000 remote and in-person visits with guests in the past year.
Advocacy
Overnight Shelter
Today, our Overnight Shelter, with a well-equipped kitchen, dining area, laundry room and community space accommodates 20 women at a time for 28-day stays. With this extended stay and the sanctuary and security it allows our guests, they are able to connect with our various expert services and supports in order to plan their next steps.
Our Women’s Education program began when we saw that a great number of our guests were immigrants facing a language barrier. With a team of volunteer teachers, we began offering free English classes in our Dining Room in between meal seatings. As our guests’ needs grew, so did our program.
Social Justice
Today, our Women’s Education Center houses three floors of classrooms where we offer students free ESOL, technology and literacy classes. We also provide a Computer Lab where women can work on their job searches with our Employment Specialist. Further, we offer Zoom classes and other remote learning opportunities. Last year alone, we provided on-site and remote instruction to nearly 270 students.
At Rosie’s Place, we are devoted to helping poor and homeless women. And we are also dedicated to changing the world in which our guests live. We are allies and activists committed to carrying on Kip Tiernan’s work for social justice with our Public Policy program that amplifies our guests’ voices through legislative advocacy, coalition building and by empowering our guests to be actively involved in civic life.
? Did you know
50 years ago, a gallon of milk cost $0.79 and a loaf of bread $0.36. Today, they will cost you $3.96 and $2.03 respectively.
Until 1974, American women were unable to get credit cards of their own. Can you name the Act passed by Congress that allowed women to apply for credit cards in their own name, regardless of their marital status? It was called the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), more formally known as Title VII of the Consumer Credit Protection Act.
Every Friday afternoon, we screen a movie in our Sitting Room for our guests complete with popcorn and snacks. Can you name the number one movie of 1974? It was “Blazing Saddles.”
In the past 10 years, visits to our Food Pantry have grown by 233% from 22,289 in 2013 to 74,238 in 2023.
In the 1970’s, the median rent paid in Massachusetts was $117 per month. Today the average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in Boston is $4,000.
Do you know what a 50th anniversary gift would mean for Rosie’s Place?
$50 pays for 3 days of groceries for 11 women and their families, through our Food Pantry.
$500 underwrites 5 days of a 4-week
In years, Rosie’s Place provided ten beds to homeless women for weeklong stays.healthy
$150 provides a
and hearty breakfast for 32 poor and homeless women.
$250 provides a nutritious lunch or dinner for 70 women and their children.
stay in our Overnight Shelter.
A Noteworthy Gift Idea
Rosie’s Place note cards are a perfect gift idea for any occasion, and this springtime favorite, First Light on the River (pictured), is available just in time for Mother’s Day. Painted by acclaimed artist, Sam Vokey, as he stood on the banks of the Charles River in Cambridge, this quiet dawn scene is a perfect reminder of spring mornings in Boston. Choose this card or three other scenes, each depicting a different New England season. With artwork graciously donated by Sam Vokey, we offer a pack of 10 for $18 or a variety pack with four cards of each image for $24. View all the images and order at www.rosiesplace.org/notecards.
Safe & Sound
We hope to see you on May 8th at the Cyclorama as we celebrate 50 years of turning hope into help at Rosie’s Place. This special evening will feature delicious food from the best of Boston’s culinary talent, expertly paired wines, the opportunity to bid on unique and exclusive auction packages and much more!
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available now! For information, please contact Olivia Davis Wilson at odaviswilson@rosiesplace.org or 617.318.0211 or visit www.rosiesplace.org/gala.
wednesdaY, maY 8, 2024
tHe CYClorama at tHe boston Center for tHe arts
FUNNY WOMEN… SERIOUS BUSINESS
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 12:00 PM
The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
Join us for the always-entertaining and always-inspiring annual, Funny Women…Serious Business luncheon. Our featured speaker will be Stephanie Land, activist and acclaimed author of the New York Times bestselling memoir, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive.
Check our social media or visit www.rosiesplace.org soon for more details.
With both on-site and remote volunteer opportunities, it’s never been easier to get involved and give back to the women we serve at Rosie’s Place! To learn more about volunteering with us, both in-person and off-site, visit www.rosiesplace.org/get-involved or email volunteer@rosiesplace.org.
Volunteer On-Site
From preparing and serving a meal in our Dining Room to substitute teaching in our Women’s Education Center, there are a variety of on-site volunteer positions. To learn how to register to volunteer with us, visit www.bit.ly/VolRegRP.
Lead a Virtual Food Drive
Help stock our Pantry shelves by contributing to our virtual food drive or starting one of your own at https://yougivegoods.com/rosiesplaceallsupporters2024.
Create Care Packages
Many guests are stretching already-insufficient budgets to cover high food and housing costs for themselves and their families. We help with these urgent needs as well as other essentials, like toiletries and personal care products. Check out www.rosiesplace.org/carepackages for specific guidelines.
Fulfill a Wishlist Need
When you purchase items through our Amazon Wishlist (www.amzn.to/3Z8kHMa), the specific items we need most get shipped directly to us.
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.
rosiesplace.org
Boston, MA 02118
889 Harrison Avenue
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Rosie’s Place 50th Anniversary Gala
The Rosie’s Place 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.”