Winter 2017
Innsider News from Pine Street Inn
Connecting with Those on the Street:
Building Trust
It is 10:00 p.m. on a cold Thursday night in December, and much of the
Rick Friedman
city is tucked away for the night, safe and warm. Pine Street’s Outreach team, however, is just about an hour into their nightly shift canvassing the streets of downtown Boston, on the lookout for homeless men and women.
Our Outreach teams work one-on-one with homeless individuals and meet them “where they are.”
Two Outreach vans are stocked with warm blankets, hot chocolate, sandwiches and new hats, gloves and personal care items. One team has already encountered nine individuals, all known to them – many huddled in doorways. To some, these men and women may seem invisible, but to the Outreach team, each person has a story.
Nelson, a 16-year Outreach team veteran, remarks, “Each story begins with rapport-building. Some people are resistant, but seeing the same face every night builds trust. We visited Diane for many, many nights – she finally opened up and started taking the steps.” Diane, who lived on the streets for over 10 years, was recently housed. (Continued on page 4)
The Outreach Van:
A Snapshot
The following timeline gives a brief overview of several
hours in the life of Pine Street’s overnight Outreach team.
9:00 p.m. Two vans are loaded with sandwiches, soup, hot chocolate, water, oranges, blankets, hats, gloves, sweatshirts and personal care items. The teams meet to finalize routes. 9:15 p.m. The first stop is a busy street in downtown Boston. Behind a row of planters, a young man and woman are huddled with an old man. The group is interested in hot chocolate and blankets. The young woman has been seen by the team at a number of different locations over the (Continued on page 2)
Two Outreach vans canvass the streets every night from 9:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m.