Winter 2022
Innsider News from Pine Street Inn
Medical Care Anywhere
Accessing medical care when you’re living on the street can be extremely challenging, and a pandemic makes it even more difficult. In addition, many of those who stay outside grapple with severe mental health issues, and may be unlikely to go to in-person appointments, even under the best of circumstances. During the pandemic, Pine Street Inn’s outreach staff began using their phones to link clients to healthcare providers. For most people, telehealth and virtual appointments have been a life-changing alternative to going to a doctor’s office. “Clients who would not have gone to a medical appointment for a variety of reasons have been able to connect regularly with providers by using our phones on the street,” says Amanda Proctor, clinical supervisor on Pine Street’s outreach team. “The street is their comfort zone.”
Outreach clinician Amanda Proctor facilitates a virtual appointment
Of the 80+ individuals that Pine Street’s outreach counselors visit daily, one client in particular, comes to mind when discussing the benefits of telehealth. “Pre-COVID, this person would need to go to the veterans’ hospital for all of his appointments. It was a big deal just to get him there and really challenging for him to go through their system.”
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Out in the Cold, Never Giving Up During these coldest months of the year, we are often asked ‘Why would anyone choose to remain outside on the streets in frigid weather?’ Many individuals who stay outside suffer from serious mental illness and/or addiction. They may fear the crowds in shelters, or have difficulty following the rules. The ongoing COVID pandemic has only exacerbated and complicated these issues. Pandemic or not, Pine Street’s outreach
teams go out on foot during the day and in vans at night, especially concerned with frostbite and hypothermia during the winter months. They canvass the city and are familiar with the areas where people stay. It takes a special kind of person to do this work: staff must be patient, persistent and kind, developing relationships and building trust. This process can take weeks, months – or even years.
Pine Street’s outreach van assists a guest
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From the
President
Dear Friends, First, I want to wish you and your loved ones a happy and healthy new year. As we make our way through the cold weather months, we are especially concerned about the vulnerable individuals who choose to stay on the streets, even through the coldest days of winter. You can read more about our work to support these individuals on page 1 of this newsletter. Although we have continued to face challenging times, we also have some good news to report:
Two major housing developments are now underway, which when completed, will provide more than 250 additional units of housing. This will make it possible for us to move 250+ individuals off the street, out of shelter and into the stability and safety of a home.
In addition to creating more housing, we have also begun to reimagine shelter, creating a space that is less crowded and more conducive to a healthy and safe environment. You can read more about these changes on page 4. As we have worked to protect our guests and tenants from COVID, new measures in our shelters have helped us maintain an under 1% positive rate. Our holidays looked very different, without the hundreds of volunteers who help make the holidays special for our guests and tenants. Like many of us, our “new normal” continues to evolve, and we don’t know where we will land. We do know we need to be ready to quickly pivot to respond to changing situations. Even though we are uncertain about where we will eventually land, one thing we are very certain about: your generosity and support have sustained us through these times. On behalf of everyone at Pine Street Inn, I extend my deepest appreciation for all you do. Warmly,
(Medical Care Anywhere, continued from page 1)
(Out in the Cold, continued from page 1)
“Now through telehealth, we sit on a step, and see his primary care physician, endocrinologist, psychiatrist, neurologist and nutritionist. For the first time, he’s been able to manage his diabetes. We’ve been able to get to the bottom of his brain injury issues, and now he takes his medications regularly.”
This is often a delicate process, and staff always keep in mind that those they encounter on the streets are someone’s mother, father, brother, sister, son or daughter. Housing is always the goal of building these relationships, and a number of people are able to move directly from the street into housing.
Many on the street either don’t have their own phones or understand how to use technology, so they depend on the outreach staff. “I am grateful that this has become an option, because we are able to help many more people in a way we never could have imagined,” says Proctor.
The Pine Street team coordinates closely with the City of Boston, other providers, police and emergency services. They meet regularly to discuss strategies for keeping men and women safe. As Michael Andrick, Pine Street’s Director of Outreach, says, “We’re here to acknowledge the humanity in everyone. We never, ever give up on anyone.”
If you see someone on the street who appears to be in distress, please call 911. [2]
A number of the changes we have implemented to create a safe and healthy environment for shelter guests during the pandemic are being adopted permanently. Pine Street has realized that going back to crowded shelters is unsustainable, and rethinking shelter was necessary, both for the present and future. These changes include moving beds to create more space in between, adding handwashing stations in our shelters and decreasing the number of guests who sleep in the same area. They reflect our commitment to pivoting during these challenging times to provide a more positive, safe and healthy experience for both guests and staff.
Mike, Guest at the Men’s Inn Mike had lived outside of Boston with his family, but when they moved to Florida, he had nowhere to go. Several months ago, he came to Pine Street. “Pine Street’s staff has been putting in so much effort to keep people safe. Staying in a nice, clean environment has been life-saving this past year. Finding a place to live is hard and takes a long time, and having a safe space to sleep while going through that process is so important.”
Josh O’Brien, Senior Director of Emergency Shelters “Creating a more inviting, healthy and spacious environment for our guests reaffirms that they are respected, valued and have the support, comfort and privacy to move forward in their journey toward permanent housing. Walking through the dorms for the first time after our renovations were completed and seeing the smiles, thumbs up and clear sense of peace and relaxation from guests in the new space was one of my greatest days at Pine Street.”
Pine Street Supporter “My family supported the purchase of handwashing stations at Pine Street. We are delighted to help contribute to the safety of shelter guests. It was so meaningful to visit the shelter and see the stations fully functioning and being put to good use. We hope they serve Pine Street well throughout and beyond the pandemic.”
Why I Support Pine Street Inn:
Celia Morris
How did you first get involved with Pine Street? My history with Pine Street spans 27 years. For my 50th birthday, my best friend and I, both mothers of daughters, had a party and asked our guests to do something positive for women or girls in lieu of gifts. A few weeks later, one of those guests invited me to a breakfast at the Women’s Inn where I took a tour and learned about the organization. My friend announced that she agreed to host a campaign at Pine Street as her gift to us. When she asked me to join a committee there, I couldn’t say no. What programs are most meaningful to you?
How do you see your support making a difference?
Pine Street is an ever-evolving organization. What is amazing to me is that, today, Pine Street has more people in housing than they do in shelters. Their workforce development programs help people get back on their feet. And Front Door Triage, one of their newest programs, is designed to help individuals avoid shelter where possible.
I realize that homelessness is a problem everywhere. Because of the leadership and dedicated staff members and volunteers, as well as the supporters who make the programs possible, Pine Street is a model for tackling these issues with long-term solutions.
What factors go into your philanthropic giving?
Over the years, how have you felt about your relationship with Pine Street?
I grew up in comfortable circumstances and was raised in a family where volunteering and giving back were important values. For many years, I made small donations to numerous organizations; however, I have learned that I can have greater impact by giving larger donations to fewer organizations, which is what I do now.
In addition to my giving, I’ve been a volunteer for many years and have hosted tea parties for guests in the Women’s Inn. But most impressive to me is the evolution of Pine Street. Their core mission remains the same, but there are always new programs and new ways to support guests and tenants.
Meet the Pine Street Boston Marathon® Team!
Save the Date: Home
Remedy Breakfast
Pine Street Inn’s annual Home Remedy fundraising breakfast brings together Greater Boston’s corporate and philanthropic leaders. Thanks to our dedicated partners, funds raised through this breakfast will assist close to 1,500 individuals who turn to Pine Street daily for help in rebuilding their lives. Join us on Wednesday April 27, 2022, 7:15 AM, at the Westin Copley Place for our in-person event. We hope to see you there! For information on sponsorships, contact Scottie Wait, Director of Corporate Partnerships, Scottie.Wait@pinestreetinn.org or 617.892.9167 [4]
Join Winter
Walk
Pine Street Inn will once again participate in the 6th Annual Winter Walk. The wonderful community event, which raises awareness and important financial support for Boston-based organizations working to end homelessness, will offer both a live walk on Sunday, February 13 and remote format this year! The walk enables participants to see the world through the eyes of homeless men and women during the cold of winter. To register for Winter Walk and to join team Pine Street, visit www.pinestreetinn.org/winterwalk2022 If you have questions, please contact Lisa Feeley at 617.892.9199 or lisa.feeley@pinestreetinn.org
Winter Walk 2021
Providing Comfort in the Cold With winter here, individuals on the street struggle to stay warm. Pine Street’s street outreach teams check on those staying outside, day and night, handing out essential supplies to keep them safe. We greatly appreciate donations of the following: • • • • • • • A volunteer drops off outreach bags
Hats, gloves, socks Emergency space blankets Rain poncho Lip balm Hand/foot warmers Travel size tissues Granola bars/small individual snacks
For more information on in-kind donations, email volunteer@pinestreetinn.org
Holiday Traditions Continue While our guests enjoyed their traditional Thanksgiving meal, we again held our ceremonial turkey carving outdoors under a tent. We were very pleased to welcome Boston’s new Mayor, Michelle Wu, as well as Senator Edward Markey, State Representative Aaron Michlewitz and Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who brought 50 Thanksgiving pies.
From left to right: Senator Edward Markey, Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy, Pine Street President Lyndia Downie, Mayor Michelle Wu and Representative Aaron Michlewitz carve turkeys.
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Community Friends Team HarbourVest Comes Through Team members from HarbourVest Partners donated and assembled gift bags for tenants as a virtual service opportunity and delivered the bags over the holidays. This is one of the many virtual options we are happy to offer to partners as a way to stay engaged! When asked what volunteering means to the HarbourVest team, Katherine McCord, Client Reporting and Communications Manager, HarbourVest Partners said, “While we can’t wait to get back to in-person volunteering with Pine Street, my colleagues and I really enjoyed putting together the bags for Pine Street tenants this Thanksgiving season. We are so pleased to be able to partner with Pine Street once again this holiday season.”
A Committed Volunteer Sophia Mehta has supported Pine Street as a passionate and committed volunteer on numerous occasions. When in-person volunteer opportunities were put on pause because of the pandemic, she rallied her community to start a donation drive in her neighborhood. Sophia was able to collect over 2,500 items that were distributed to our outreach and housing clients. We greatly appreciate her continued thoughtfulness and generosity!
Sophia drops off her donations
Tenants and staff at one of Pine Street’s residences with their new donations from HarbourVest
Virtual Volunteers We thank our dedicated corporate partners who continue their support during these times. Blue Cross Blue Shield hosted a virtual service day for over 50 volunteers where team members designed cards for our guests and tenants. Columbia Threadneedle Investments and Ameriprise ran a housing donation drive as part of their service day. Columbia Threadneedle Senior Director Kristin Weisser shared: “Pine Street Inn has made their virtual volunteer programs informative and comprehensive. We have seen our overall employee engagement increase and have exposed more employees to Pine Street’s great work.”
Meat for Meals We were thrilled to partner with our friends from Walden Local Meats again over the past year, receiving over 1,200 pounds of grass-fed ground beef as part of their annual Thanksgiving drive. This donation will provide over 3,200 meals for shelter guests during the winter months.
Pine Street kitchen staff receive a Walden Meat donation
Innsider Published three times a year by the Advancement Department
Blue Cross Blue Shield’s virtual service day over Zoom
Pine Street Inn 444 Harrison Avenue Boston, MA 02118 General Information: 617.892.9100 Donations: 617.892.9170 Volunteers: 617.892.9184 www.pinestreetinn.org
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