Replacing Barriers with Steppingstones
Q & A with our Senior Director of Opportunity Programs
Our President on Meeting this Moment with More Announcing Our New Holiday Card for 2025
Join Us for Funny Women…Serious Business on November 6th
PAULINE JENNETT SENIOR DIRECTOR OF OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMS
Eight years ago, Pauline Jennett’s first role at Rosie’s Place was as a volunteer, teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in our Women’s Education Center (WEC). After two years, she joined us full-time as WEC’s Teacher Coordinator and later became our Overnight Shelter Manager before moving out of state in 2021. This January, Pauline returned to Massachusetts to take on a role that is new for both her and Rosie’s Place. As Senior Director of Opportunity Programs, she draws on her varied educational and professional background in business, counseling and education, to oversee our Women’s Education Center and Workforce Development Programs.
What brought you back to Rosie’s Place?
I wanted to be back in a community that’s so special to me. To work with folks whom I admire, from our guests to my former colleagues who are still here, still committed to Rosie’s Place, it truly was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up!
What obstacles to opportunity do our guests face?
The students in our ESOL classes come from around the world wanting to break down a language barrier that is all too often keeping them from gainful employment and stable housing. The women we serve are living in poverty which creates even more challenges for them to overcome such as how to afford the bus fare to get to class or a job interview. Or how to apply for a job without access to a computer or the skills to use one. How do our Opportunity Programs address these challenges?
Our multilingual staff connect with guests in their own languages and connect them to all our other programs and services.
We also provide Charlie tickets so women can get to class, work or appointments. For our students who are tech-savvy, we offer virtual classes and app-based educational software that removes travel time and allows them to fit more classwork into their schedules.
Our volunteer-staffed Computer Lab gives women access to technology as well as training in it. And our Workforce Development Advocate meets with guests one-on-one and in specialized workshops, providing help with job searches, resumes, interview skills, applications to training programs and more.
Is the need growing for our education and employment help?
In leaps and bounds! In the past year, we welcomed more than 300 students to our on-site and remote classes and this fall, we expect an even bigger enrollment as women new to the country and the Boston area learn about Rosie’s Place.
The demand for our Workforce Development Advocate is at an all-time high. In the past year, hundreds more women than last year, sought her help.
How is Rosie’s Place meeting these growing needs?
As part of our multi-year strategic plan, we will double our Workforce team by 2026, and we plan to add more classes in our Women’s Education Center. By 2028, we will be providing more opportunities, and ultimately more stability, to more women than ever before.
Why is this work important to you?
I’m passionate about education because I know it can change lives. I see it every day at Rosie’s Place. I’m so glad to be back here!
At Rosie’s Place, we know that when barriers are removed, opportunity can be pursued. Stability can be achieved. We are dedicated to making all of our programs and services consistent, convenient and as accessible and impactful as possible for the women who count on us. Women like Roseline, Jodie and Kaceann.
ROSELINE A recent immigrant from Haiti, Roseline is an ESOL student in our Women’s Education Center. She is driven to improve her language skills in order to gain a better paying job and move herself and two young daughters out of her friend’s apartment and into a place of their own. Roseline attends classes three mornings a week and joins us for lunch in the Dining Room before heading to work. She is active in our Public Policy Council meetings, partnering with our staff in calling on state officials to ensure dignified and humane treatment of the tens of thousands of migrants who have recently arrived in Massachusetts.
JODIE For years, Jodie worked two jobs to keep her one-bedroom apartment. Living paycheck to paycheck, she just got by. But when she lost her day job working as a security guard in a local mall, it was not long before her bills began to pile up. Unable to pay rent, Jodie faced eviction.
When a friend told her about Rosie’s Place, Jodie immediately called our Advocacy Helpline. We were able to help her with unpaid rent and negotiated a payment plan with her landlord and several utility companies to address
the overwhelming bills. Working with our Workforce Development Advocate, Jodie secured a higher paying full-time job with training and advancement opportunities, that allowed her to leave her second job. She continues to visit our Food Pantry weekly for the nutritional and financial supplements that our groceries provide.
KACEANN A dynamic and driven woman, Kaceann moved from Jamaica to New York City in search of a better life. For a while, that’s exactly what she found, until her plans were derailed when the man she fell in love with abused her. She had to get out. With little more than the clothes on her back, she escaped to Boston. With hundreds of miles between her and her abuser, Kaceann was finally free. But this safety came at a high cost. She was now without a home, and without hope, a stranger in a new city with nowhere to turn—until she found Rosie’s Place, and she was truly able to start over again.
Kaceann stayed in our Overnight Shelter and found the support she needed. Our Workforce Development Advocate helped her apply for and
secure a job as a home health aide. We extended her stay in our shelter while our Housing Specialist helped her find stable housing. When she moved into a nearby apartment, Rosie’s Place assisted with move-in costs, furniture and household essentials. Soon after, Kaceann worked once again with our Workforce Development Advocate, who helped her enroll in a course to become a certified phlebotomy technician.
Now, Kaceann’s days are spent working as a home health aide, and her nights are filled with GED and phlebotomy classes. She regularly visits our Dining Room for lunch in between work and classes and checks in with her “Rosie’s Place family.”
Scan the QR code below to watch a video of Kaceann sharing her story in her own words.
The “digital divide” is defined as the economic, educational and social inequalities between those who have computers and online access and those who do not. For too many of our guests, lack of access to technology prevents them from pursuing educational, employment and even housing opportunities. At Rosie’s Place we work to bridge this divide through our dropin Computer Lab as well as one-on-one and workshop trainings.
This summer, our Workforce Development Advocate partnered with our friends at Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation to offer a three-month-long Basic Computer class to our guests. The introductory level training focused on students learning practical skills that will serve them both professionally and personally. Those who completed the program now have more than comfort and confidence in using technology. Thanks to a generous donation from Funnel, students now have MacBooks of their own, so they can advance their skills and access even more resources and opportunities.
Dear Friend,
Today, when it feels like we live in a world that seeks to divide and marginalize, coming together in the way that we do at Rosie’s Place has never been more important. The sanctuary, respect, opportunity and help that we provide is the antidote to this division.
Because right now, our community needs us more.
And over the 51 years that our doors have been open in welcome, when more has been needed from us— thanks to friends like you—we have always, always found ways to give more.
As you will read about on page one and can see in the data charted on this page, over the past year, we have seen growth across all of our programs.
Rising food insecurity in our community translated to thousands more meals served in our Dining Room. Higher rents and skyrocketing costs of living drove a 32% increase in our eviction prevention work, keeping hundreds more women and their families safe in their homes.
Through our intensive efforts to form partnerships with low-barrier programs—and our intentional relationship work with our guests—we have moved more women into transitional and long-term housing than we did last year. No one should have to spend a day worried and wondering where they will sleep at night.
Last year, our Advocates answered more than 35,500 calls for our help, both in person and over the phone—a 17% increase from last year.
More women are being helped by Rosie’s Place, and in more meaningful ways. With your support, please know that this will only continue.
The prescient decision our founder, Kip Tiernan made to never accept government funding has protected our community, while our fiveyear strategic plan has positioned us to meet this moment.
In response to the increased needs of our guests resulting from the current economic landscape— we have prioritized the growth of our emergency support services and accelerated the expansion of our Workforce Development Program. We will give our guests more help with critical day-to-day needs and more opportunities for precious stability.
So that, once again in a time of uncertainty, we will come through for women who live in uncertainty every day. Our guests face challenges and circumstances most would find unbearable. And yet they find ways to move forward. And so, in turn, must we.
Not only are we compelled to do the right thing in helping women who have been wronged and overlooked, but we are compelled to do this work, because we know it works. For women like Roseline, Jodie and Kaceann, about whom you will read on page one, and for the more than 13,000 others we will help this year, Rosie’s Place is a lifeline.
We remain devoted to removing barriers and replacing them with steppingstones; to countering division with community and to meeting need with more—more help, more compassion and more love.
Thank you for standing with us in this urgent and important work. Thank you for recognizing that together, we can do more.
In solidarity,
Leemarie Mosca
Cera Smith and Lauren Thomas Design Colette O’Neill
We’d love to hear from you! Please contact us with your comments at jdoyle@rosiesplace.org or 617.318.0265.
Responding to the continued rise in food insecurity, our Dining Room served 187,000 nourishing, well-balanced meals—a 23% increase over last year—averaging more than 500 meals daily.
Our Legal Program supported more than 1,200 guests—14% more than last year—through services related to immigration, housing, family law, employment, CORI sealing and more. This work is enhanced through partnerships with pro-bono attorneys, who help our guests access justice.
Our multilingual Advocates held over 35,500 meetings and calls—an increase of 17% over last year—ensuring no woman faced crisis alone.
This year, we helped 2,664 guests remain housed and avoid eviction—32% more guests than last year— through the work of our Advocacy and Legal Programs.
More than 430 guests accessed employment support —a 42% increase, compared to the previous year— through a total of 878 one-on-one meetings with our Workforce Development Advocate.
Our Women’s Education Center Students Build Connections! English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students in our Women’s Education Center spent the spring writing, workshopping and typing up pieces around the theme of connections. From reflecting on the role family and cultural traditions play in fostering bonds to exploring the technology that helps folks stay in touch with loved ones, these students have moved us with their ideas and reflective prose. We compiled their work into a beautiful chapbook entitled Connections that was graciously designed by our friend John Rodzvilla of Emerson College Pub Lab and generously printed and bound for us by our friends at Bridgeport National Bindery.
In May, we celebrated the work of our amazing students and volunteer teachers with author readings and a reception in our Dining Room. We are proud to be a place of welcome, connection and opportunity for women from around the world.
Orthopedic Surgery department for their thoughtful donation of New Balance sneakers for our guests. This new footwear is a perfect fit for our guests’ needs.
We are deeply grateful to have been awarded a generous three-year grant from the Women’s Foundation of Boston. This support will help launch our new Workforce Development program, helping more women to find stability and empowerment through job readiness support, financial education, and help with job searches and placement. We’re excited for the impact this partnership will make!
Our Safe & Sound gala was held May 7th at The Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts. A celebration of our community and mission, the evening raised nearly $800,000 to support our life-changing work.
Retired WCVB 5 anchor Susan Wornick and WBUR’s Deborah Becker served as co-hosts, and guests enjoyed chef tastings and silent and live auctions.
We are grateful for the support of our event chairs: Cherise and Robert Bransfield, Christina and Michael Gordon, Marriott Daughters Foundation, Michele May and David Walt, Deb and Mark Pasculano and Bank of America whose generosity helped make the evening such a memorable one for Rosie’s Place.
Our guests soaked in the sun and the waves on our annual beach trip this July! We are so grateful to our wonderful friends at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Hanover for hosting this beloved annual tradition. And a big thank you to the generous employees of Deloitte for holding an Amazon Wishlist drive to collect all the beach bag supplies our guests could need.
Always striving to connect our guests to all the supports they need, this summer, our Advocacy team hosted a Community Resource Fair for our guests to learn more about our spectrum of programs and services as well as those of many other local community organizations.
Send family, friends and colleagues more than holiday wishes—share your support of Rosie’s Place. Every purchase of Rosie’s Place Holiday Cards enables us to provide hope and help to more than 13,000 women each year, through our compassionate and comprehensive programs and services.
New this year is our Winter Willows design by acclaimed local artist Sam Vokey, who beautifully captured the sunlit snow and shadows of a winter afternoon on Boston Common.
Visit www.rosiesplace.org/holidaycards to view all 10 different card designs.
You can remember Rosie’s Place over the holidays in two ways:
Purchase packs of cards
• Ten winter scenes to choose from
• 10-pack of 1 design: $20
• 15-pack with 3 designs: $26
• Comes with envelopes and classic greeting inside: “Warm wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season.”
Personalize your greeting with custom-printed cards
• Available on orders of 50+ cards
• Print a unique message in color or black and white
• Add logo, photo or signatures for a special touch Envelopes are included and can be customized
• Our online ordering system makes ordering quick and easy
Order your special holiday greetings while supporting the work of Rosie’s Place today!
• Online: www.rosiesplace.org/holidaycards
• Phone: Anna McCracken at 617.318.0238
• Email: info@rosiesplace.org
• Mail: send a check to Rosie’s Place, Attn: Holiday Cards, 889 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02118
In June, we marked what would have been our founder, Kip Tiernan’s, 99th birthday with a celebration in our Dining Room! The festivities included a delicious lunch, dancing, a musical performance by our friend Brenda Sparkle, and a decadent dessert goodie bag for every guest.
Through our Advocacy, Legal and Women’s Education programs, we offer critical and comprehensive support to immigrants. Recently, a member from each of these teams tabled in our lobby to meet directly with guests and provide them with information about our legal clinics, English language classes, housing assistance and many other programs.
Turn Your Legacy into Opportunity
The first shelter for women in the nation, Rosie’s Place has made more than history. Providing day and overnight shelter, meals and groceries, education and expert employment, housing, legal and behavioral health support—every day at Rosie’s Place, we make a difference.
We could not do all that we do without friends like you.
Will you consider making a planned gift/bequest to support our mission of compassion?
Join our Legacy Society today and join us in providing brighter tomorrows for thousands of women every year.
Benefits include:
• Special listing in our Annual Report and on our website.
• Invitations to our signature annual events.
• Exclusive program updates.
• Complimentary Rosie’s Place holiday cards, annually.
• The knowledge that your generosity has provided hope and help to our community’s most vulnerable women.
If you have a planned gift in place for Rosie’s Place, please let us know so that we may express our gratitude and welcome you into the Legacy Society.
Contact Kristen Leonard at 617.318.0232 or kleonard@rosiesplace.org.
A Luncheon to Benefit Rosie’s Place Thursday, November 6th • Noon to 2:00pm
Thomas M. Menino Convention and Exhibition Center (formerly Boston Convention and Exhibition Center)
Featuring speaker Rachel Louise Snyder, an awardwinning author and investigative journalist whose work explores the causes and consequences of the violence that impacts women. Her powerful memoir, Women We Buried, Women We Burned, recounts her own story of loss and survival. When eight-year-old Rachel’s mother died, the years that followed were tumultuous and traumatic culminating in her becoming homeless at age sixteen. Living out of her car and relying on strangers, Rachel found herself masquerading as an adult, talking her way into college and eventually traveling the globe.
As a journalist, Rachel has visited more than 60 countries, covering stories of human rights, natural disasters, displacement and war. She is a professor of creative writing in the MFA program at American University.
Join us for this always-inspiring afternoon that celebrates and supports the amazing Rosie’s Place community.
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact Olivia Davis Wilson at odaviswilson@rosiesplace.org or 617.318.0211.
The event is made possible through the support of Presenting Sponsors: Cherise and Robert Bransfield, Christina and Michael Gordon, G-P, Erin O’Connor Kent and Patrick Kent, Kristen and John Maxwell, Michele May and David Walt, Bob and Christa Murray, New Balance Foundation and Deb and Mark Pasculano; Leading Sponsors: Kathi Blair, Christy and Jay Cashman, Forest Foundation, The Gilson Family Foundation, Beth Edwards Harris, Highland Partners Charitable Fund, Linda and Joseph Hooley, Michelle and Lyle Knight, The Madison Family, Pinkham Busny LLP, Lisa Wexler and Tom Monroe (as of printing date).
WBUR’s A Christmas Carol
Join us on Monday, December 15th at 7:00pm at CitySpace in Boston for this beloved holiday tradition, as WBUR personalities bring Charles Dickens’ classic tale A Christmas Carol to life! Visit our website at www.rosiesplace.org or check our social media for more details.
rosiesplace.org
Boston, MA 02118
889 Harrison Avenue
