Winter 2015
Innsider News from Pine Street Inn
Campaign for Pine Street
Tops Goal!
When Derry moved into his
Laura Hajar
new apartment in Dorchester this fall, he was finally home. His journey out of homelessness began four years ago, and with the help of Pine Street Inn, it ended in a sunny and spacious room in one of the 37 houses Pine Street Inn owns or operates.
After four years in shelter, Derry now calls Pine Street housing his home. See more photos from his moving day on page 3.
Derry’s new home was made possible, in part, by the funds raised by Ending Homelessness: The Campaign for Pine Street Inn and the more than 2,500 donors who contributed to make it
Bridge Closing
a success. The building he now lives in, as well as the support services that go along with it, provide stability and a caring community for men and women who have lived too long on the street or in emergency shelter. Because of the success of the Campaign, Pine Street now houses more than 850 formerly homeless men and women in locations throughout Greater Boston. The Campaign for Pine Street Inn was a four-year effort that supported a (Continued on page 2)
Concerns
Since the closing of the Long Island Bridge and the city of
Boston’s Long Island Shelter, stories of men and women who have been displaced have been covered extensively by local news outlets. As you will read in Lyndia Downie’s “From the President” column on page 2, Pine Street had a program on Long Island for a number of years. Fortunately, we had a plan in place to move all 113 guests off the island and to other locations before the bridge closed. As a result of the Long Island Bridge closing, (Continued on page 4)
we are seeing a 16% increase in men at our shelters as compared to last year.
From the
President
Richard Howard
In the meantime, we participated in meetings with the Boston Public Health Commission, where we identified alternative sites should the bridge close. The South End Fitness Center was identified as the main site; the community of homeless providers in the city each committed to taking additional people – in lobbies, cafeterias and hallways. In the end, when the bridge closed, we replaced 424 of the 450 shelter beds on the island.
As I write this letter we have just learned that a
building to replace the Long Island Shelter has been identified. This is good news and could not be more timely. Many people have asked why the bridge to Long Island closed. The bridge has needed repairs for many years. In fact, when we moved shelter beds there over a decade ago, there were concerns then about the state of the bridge. When we heard from the Walsh administration that recent engineering reports indicated the bridge might have to close, we looked at other sites for the 113 people we had on the island. To our delight, we were welcomed back to Holy Family Parish in Dorchester. Words cannot convey our thanks to Father Ahern, the parish and neighbors for making the church available to us. In September, we moved some guests to Holy Family, some to the main men’s shelter, and others into permanent housing.
But numbers just tell part of the story. It is much more difficult to quantify the impact this has had on the guests. Few people end up homeless without experiencing trauma, loss and rejection. Although shelter is not what we want for people, when you lose the only stability you have (as little as it may be) it creates more loss and anxiety, and the disruption sets you back — no matter how resilient you are.
“We need to work to ensure that we can accommodate anyone seeking refuge from the cold.” As we move into the heart of the winter, we are working to find additional space. Every winter at least 100 to 150 beds are added in Boston because so many more people come inside during the cold weather months. The bridge closing took away the option for winter overflow beds. To help people through the winter, we need to work to ensure that we can accommodate anyone seeking refuge from the cold. We could use your help. We need volunteers to serve dinner at Holy Family Shelter. We could use donations of cereal and coffee. We can always use financial support to put towards additional capacity for the winter. We need your collective shoulders to lean on right now. Thank you.
(Campaign for Pine Street Tops Goal, continued from page 1) transformative change in Pine Street Inn’s vision and operations. This change shifted our primary focus from emergency shelter to permanent supportive housing, prioritizing those who have been homeless the longest. In June 2014, we surpassed our $20 million goal, reaching $20.5 million.
This success ensures that we can continue to acquire, renovate, staff and preserve both new and existing housing like the one Derry now calls home. The success of the Campaign dramatically builds on more than three decades of Pine Street’s experience and knowledge in providing permanent housing for homeless men and women.
Thanks to our many generous Campaign donors, the goal of ending homelessness has become a reality for the hundreds of people who were able to celebrate the holidays this year in a home of their own, rather than on the street or in a shelter. Together, we have transformed hundreds of lives like Derry’s, and all of us at Pine Street are very grateful! [2]
The Journey to a
New Home
In the fall of 2014, 31 homeless men and women moved into the newly renovated St. Peter’s
Photos by Laura Hajar
Convent in Dorchester. For Derry, his new home at St. Peter’s is opening the door to a new life free from the stresses and limitations of homelessness.
MOVING DAY
IT’S OFFICIAL
THE KEY
“Every day for four years, when I’d walk back to the shelter at the end of the day, I’d get this terrible feeling in my stomach. I didn’t want to go back, and I never got used to it. I don’t ever want to have to take that walk again.”
“When I was signing my lease agreement I couldn’t stop smiling. My hand was shaking. There are rules here, but not like at the shelter. We can’t smoke in our rooms, so I decided to quit. I don’t want to mess up anything.”
“I smiled all day long. I was walking on air. I love the freedom of being able to come and go when I want. I can go to the movies or have dinner at my sister’s house instead of having to get back to the shelter by 6:00 p.m.”
A PLACE TO CALL HOME “I did over 50 puzzles when I was at the shelter. It would put me in a zone and help block out the chaos around me. It was therapeutic. It’s so quiet here. I pull up the shades to let the sunlight in. I’m on the fourth floor, so no one can see in. I like the privacy.” [3]
Help Us Through
the Winter
Join the Effort:
Warm Up the Winter Make a monthly gift during the months of
January, February and March to help warm up the winter for Boston’s homeless men and women.
Rick Friedman
Through the Warm Up the Winter Campaign, your three automatically recurring gifts during the winter months will help make sure no one is left out in the cold. Or, pledge a monthly gift to provide support throughout the year! Can you imagine sleeping on a park bench, in a train station or in an alleyway — desperately trying to stay warm on a frigid night? Hundreds of homeless men and women in Boston do this every night, an especially grueling reality during New England’s coldest months of the year.
Join the Warm Up The Winter Campaign, and help make sure no one is left in the cold this winter.
Join the Warm Up the Winter Campaign to help during these months of heightening need. Visit www.pinestreetinn.org/winter or call Melissa Cording at 617.892.9183. Help Us Through The Winter | www.pinestreetinn.org/winter (Bridge Closing Concerns, continued from page 1) At the same time, we, like many other homeless services organizations, are feeling the effects of the bridge closing.
What does this mean to our day-to-day operations? •
Of the 450 shelter beds on Long Island, 250 were replaced at the city’s temporary shelter location at the South End Fitness • Center. The Walsh administration has identified a site for a replacement shelter, with 100 beds becoming available • shortly. However, it will take several more months to bring this new shelter to full capacity.
“With our beds full, more than 100 people are sleeping in our lobbies at night.” Even with various homeless services organizations stepping up to fill the gap, many of those displaced from the Long Island Shelter have turned to Pine Street Inn.
We have seen a 16% increase for men and a 24% increase for women in our shelters compared to this time last year. With our beds full, more than 100 people are sleeping in our lobbies at night. Our Food Services team is now preparing 3,500 meals a day compared to the normal 2,000 meals per day.
To help homeless men and women through the winter, we are doing everything possible to ensure that we can accommodate anyone seeking refuge from the cold. We have seen a generous response from many of our supporters, and for that, we are most grateful. Please follow us on social media and check our website for the latest updates. [4]
Spreading Holiday Cheer
The annual outpouring of generosity and support during the holidays helps brighten the season for our
John Rich
guests and tenants. We thank all our donors and volunteers for their support.
Above: Boston Police Commissioner William Evans, State Representative Aaron Michlewitz, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Lorrie Higgins and Pine Street’s President & Executive Director Lyndia Downie carve the Thanksgiving turkeys. Other special guests included State Senator Stan Rosenberg and Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson. Right: Generous Pine Street supporters Larry and Mary Louise Krakauer joined more than 100 volunteers to help wrap holiday gifts for our shelter guests.
WAYS TO GIVE: MATCHING GIFTS
Make Your Gift
Go Even Further!
Does your employer match your charitable giving? Many companies will double, or even triple, the amount of your donation. “My company’s matching gift program allows me to double my charitable donations, so I am able to make twice the impact with charities that I care about deeply,” says Coleen Dinneen of Natixis Global Asset Management. Natixis, Credit Suisse, Citizens Bank — these are just a few of the companies whose matching gift programs are helping to end homelessness. To see if your employer has a matching gift program visit our website at www.pinestreetinn.org/mg.
SAVE THE DATE! Thursday, May 14, 2015 Marriott Boston Copley Place A Home is the Remedy.
Pine Street Inn is focused on placing homeless men and women in permanent housing with support services to help keep them housed. Home Remedy raises critical funds to help us continue this important work.
For information on Home Remedy corporate sponsorships and ticket sales, please contact Gail C. Favreau at 617.892.9178 or gail.favreau@pinestreetinn.org. WWW.PINESTREETINN.ORG/BREAKFAST [5]
Friends of the Inn A Festive
Family Tradition For Jeff and Loren Feingold, what began in 2003 as a regular dinner service shift in the Men’s Inn has grown into an annual service event for over 50 of their friends and family. For the past decade, the Feingolds have sponsored a very special holiday meal on Christmas Eve for our shelter guests. The menu includes braised New York strip loin, red bliss potatoes, haricots verts & carrots, sliced melon and ice cream sundaes with all the fixings. Guests are served by the volunteers and enjoy a live performance by volunteer musicians playing viola and cello. We are so grateful to be Loren and Jeff Feingold make part of this wonderful family the Inn’s Christmas Eve dinner tradition. festive and fun.
Innbassadors
Warming Up the Holidays The Pine Street Innbassadors, a group of emerging leaders, warmed up the holidays for our guests with their 2nd annual gift drive. Using Pine Street’s My Pine Street Fundraiser web pages, the Innbassadors raised more than $12,000 toward the cost of holidays gifts for our shelter guests — a sweatshirt, hat and gloves for men; or a scarf, hat and gloves for women. Their efforts provided something essential to help those in need in our community. For more information, visit www.pinestreetinn.org/innbassadors.
Welcome Neighbors Our newest neighbors recently spent the morning volunteering at the Inn. Fourteen staff members from the new Whole Foods Market in the South End, which opened in January, donated kitchen supplies for our Food Services Training Program and spent the morning chopping vegetables and preparing meals in the kitchen. We’re looking forward to this new partnership and more service dates with the Whole Foods staff! “We are so impressed by the team at Pine Street Inn and the work being done both on site at Harrison Avenue and throughout the city, and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to throw our hands in!” said Claire Davies, Marketing Team Leader The South End’s new Whole Foods for Whole Foods Market donated kitchen supplies to Market | South End. our food services training program.
Portable Protein Nickolas Revers, a student at The Rivers School, teamed up with Waltham’s New England Charcuterie owner Joshua Smith to produce and provide “Snack Sticks.” Snack Sticks are made from high quality local meats, are rich in protein and easy for our guests to carry without having to worry about spoilage. They will be distributed through our Outreach staff Josh and Nickolas showed food services to people on trainees how Snack Sticks are made as the streets. part of the Visiting Chefs Series. Pine Street Inn
The Innbassadors also hosted a holiday party for tenants of Pine Street’s Doe House.
Innsider
444 Harrison Avenue
Published three times a year by the Development and External Affairs Department
General Information: 617.892.9100
Boston, MA 02118 Donations: 617.892.9170 Volunteers: 617.892.9186 www.pinestreetinn.org
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