FALL 2014 After 40 Years, Dining Room Remains Central to Life at Rosie’s Place Q & A with Volunteer Librarian Diane Rodriguez Our Executive Director Looks Back…and Forward
NEWS
RESPECT Program Addresses Bullying Among Guests A New Holiday Card Added to Old Favorites Best-selling Author Cheryl Strayed to Speak at Annual Luncheon
Dining Room Always the Heart of Rosie’s Place Back in 1974, when Kip Tiernan founded Rosie’s Place, a poor or homeless woman always knew she could count on a hot meal. The name “Rosie’s Place” itself conjured an image of a homey spot where you would find coffee and conversation. From the start, food was the draw; small, pink notices that read, “If you need a meal, come here and we’ll help you,” were distributed, and the word spread. Today, as Rosie’s Place has grown into a multiservice community center serving 12,000 women a year, the promise of a meal among friends in a cheery dining room is still central to who we are, hardwired into our organizational DNA.
Q&A
DIANE RODRIGUEZ LIBRARY VOLUNTEER
In addition to its many other purposes, the Rosie’s Place dining room also houses an informal library. Nestled in an alcove with built-in bookcases, the library offers books to borrow or keep that appeal to our diverse readers. Rosie’s Place is fortunate to have recently enlisted the volunteer services of librarian Diane Rodriguez of Milton. Diane, who earned an M.S. degree in Library Science from Simmons College after a mid-career move from financial services, works as a librarian in the Marlborough Public Library. Because of her efforts to build up the library, our guests are reading newer and more popular books and making requests as well. What was your first order of business when you came on board in January? I recruited my friend Deb Squires from West Roxbury and we made a plan to come every Monday to work on the library. There were lots of books when I arrived but they needed better organization. Immediately we separated the adult books from the young adult and children’s titles. We also displayed the books in a more appealing way, with covers facing out or standing up. We talked to the guests about their preferences and conducted a survey. We have been receiving high-quality donations of the type of books most in demand: adult fiction (especially mysteries and best-sellers) and non-fiction (health, self-improvement, religion and cooking). How have you been able to add to the number of books available in the library? Deb and I have been doing outreach with other libraries including the Cohasset and Dracut Public Libraries. Deb also bought 100 children’s books from the Friends of the West Roxbury Library at a very low price. And I’ve discovered a wonderful recycling center where the books are awesome and I can pick out what we want. We labeled, organized and weeded out the yellowed, torn and aged books at Rosie’s Place to make room for the newer stuff. We are selective, just as any library, about the books we take in. What are your plans for the library going forward? It is obvious that the Sitting Room needs magazines while guests are waiting, such as Oprah, Women’s Health and Prevention. Eight to 10 magazines will be coming in over the next two years. Librarians attending the Mass. Library Association’s annual conference donated some of the money for subscriptions. Also, for this fall, we have added Back-ToSchool displays and a Science display. It’s my belief that all women and their children deserve accurate and updated information, and that’s what we are doing in the library at Rosie’s Place.
The early days From just a handful of diners at our first location at 357 Columbus Avenue, the mealtime crowd grew, prompting a move to 1662 Washington Street. After a fire in 1984, the building was renovated to provide permanent housing for guests and another, bigger space was found at our current home, 889 Harrison Avenue. In 2000, the Dining Room was renovated to become the bright, attractive area with seating for 150+ women that is in use today. The concept of the Dining Room as the heart of Rosie’s Place–the hub of activity–has evolved and expanded over the decades. Our guests view it as not just a place to receive a nutritious lunch, dinner or, since the fall, breakfast, too, but a place to rest, to seek respite from the streets, or to make and visit friends. As has happened so many times, a meal brought together two women who might not have met otherwise. Cassandra and Elsie were from starkly different backgrounds: Cassandra lived through years of poverty and crippling health problems while Elsie’s life had been comfortable until she had to flee her abusive husband. When Elsie noticed Cassandra crying at the table next to her, she reached out with kindness. They talked for hours and have developed a strong bond that helps them both face their challenges. “I knew I’d find help at Rosie’s Place, but I didn’t expect to find a friend, too,” Elsie says.
for many, the real draw is the connection they forge with our guests. Pam Abenaim of Lynnfield, who has been serving lunch almost weekly for nine years, says, “I like that we serve the women at their tables, like a restaurant. People are grateful and thank us, and if they feel good, I feel good.” She adds, “It’s always nice to recognize somebody and say hello to them by name and to have them recognize me, too.”
More than a meal Painted in relaxing yellow and sea foam green hues, the Dining Room houses a library (see Q&A, this page) and a dedicated alcove space for children to read or work on art projects. Guest artwork, such as quilt squares, drawings and primitive dolls, adorns the walls and fills glass display cases. The Arts Initiative has been instrumental in lifting spirits by filling the room with music, as well. Last year, guests enjoyed more than 50 performances during dinner, including visits from musicians from the New England Conservatory, Berklee College of Music and Boston Symphony Orchestra, as well as local performers. “Performances reflect the diversity of the Rosie’s Place population and the universality of the arts–how people can come together and understand each other regardless of age, ethnicity or nationality,” says Arts Initiative director Alev Danis. “All our guests find something to delight them.” In an effort to provide information to our guests and poor women from the community about issues that affect their lives, the Public Policy department hosts forums with candidates for city and state office in the Dining Room. A panel of city council candidates last fall drew a standing room-only crowd, and individuals running for governor, attorney general and other statewide offices spoke to guests throughout the summer. As Rosie’s Place begins its next 40 years, it is certain that the Dining Room will continue to be the gathering spot for our women, volunteers and invited guests alike–the beating heart of our community center. Says our guest Marie L., “It’s not just the food. The Dining Room is where it all happens at Rosie’s Place.”
With more than 90,000 meals served last year, Rosie’s Place relies on a network of hundreds of volunteers, making it possible to feed every woman and child who comes to the Dining Room. Up to 10 volunteers are needed to prepare, serve and clean up each meal. But
Sadika
by assisting “shoppers” in our Rosie’s Place Groceries food pantry. “The way I look at it, if you receive a lot, you should give when you can. I’m glad there’s something I can do to help,” she says.
For Sadika, who has been coming here since she arrived in Boston in 2001, Rosie’s Place is a “home away from home.” So, like any caring family member, Sadika makes a point to do her part to lend a hand whenever possible. She shows her appreciation by frequently volunteering during mealtime in the Dining Room and
Sadika ran away from an abusive home when she was only 15 and is proud that she provided for her own education and job training. She worked for many years in the physically-challenging position of sheetrock taper and is looking to be reemployed as the construction industry rebounds. “I probably have taken advantage of just about everything Rosie’s Place has to offer,” she says. When she moved here from New York, the low-income housing she had arranged fell through. Rosie’s Place helped her find temporary
Kip’s Birthday dinner, 2014
and then permanent housing–and a community of friends. She talks to Advocates when she needs support; participates in the Back on My Feet running club, taking part in a five-mile race in the winter; works on the guestrun garden; and visits almost daily for meals. Because of her history of trauma, Sadika fights depression and attends AA meetings–and looks to Rosie’s Place for its “great environment.” She says, “This is the first place I come when I’m feeling down. I get to communicate with people, fill up my day, or just relax.” And if extra hands are needed in the kitchen area, that’s where you will find Sadika. “When I see they might be short, I’ll just jump in to help with the clean up and do the dishes,” she says. “It feels good to give back.”