Womens' Lunch Place

[Bellisima]

Not sure if this belongs here but I think it does.

4Boston
Women's Lunch Place

contact: Lauren Papp
67 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02116
267-1722 (office) 267-0200 (kitchen)
http://www.womenslunchplace.org

Mission and Purpose:

As one of the daytime refuges for hungry and homeless women in Boston, the Women's Lunch Place has provided sustenance and support to a diverse community of women and their children six days a week since 1982. The Lunch Place is unique in its approach. We recognize that the hungry and homeless have lost more than food and shelter; they feel unvalued and alienated from community. We believe that this cycle of poverty and demoralization can be broken only when our society learns to respond to each individual with respect and care. Our philosophy is to love each woman as a sister and to serve her as though she were a guest in our home. Our meals consist of nutritious, homemade food and are served at tables set with fresh flowers, tablecloths, china, and silverware. Volunteers and staff spend time with the women, learning their stories and getting to know them as they wish to be known. We have few rules, no security guards, and no lines. In addition to food, we provide many other resources for our guests. Renovations completed in the fall of 1991 created a shower, laundry, bathrooms, a quiet room with books and easy chairs, a nap room, children's room, and clothing room. They also created our advocacy room in which women may use resource guides and a free telephone, copy machine, computers and typewriters to conduct the incredibly complicated business that simply surviving becomes when one is poor. In the advocacy room, the women contact landlords, social service agencies, doctors, and lawyers, as well as friends and family members.

Tasks:
BOSTON students will be involved in all aspects of the Lunch Place's direct service including assistance with breakfast and lunch preparation, service, and clean-up; assistance in laundry and shower room, nap room, clothing room, children's room, and advocacy room. Students will also be asked to participate in special projects as needed such as cleaning and organizing, pick-ups and deliveries, outings with our guests, and gift wrapping.

Hours:
Mon - Sat, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Support AssistantMon - Sat, 7:00 am - 3:30 pm Kitchen Group

This wonderful place also serves hot breakfasts. The women and children are taken on trips to museums, concerts, the circus, whale watching voyages and this week they went apple picking.

There is a clothing room where they can choose what they want, from casual to business wear attire and plenty of clothes for children.

This haven is approachng its 25th anniversary here on Newbury Street, which is the most upscale street in Boston for shopping and dining.

[Shirleypal]

The homeless women and the people of Boston are very lucky Bellisima, we have a similar program in the Detroit area, the name escapes me at the moment.

[Live365]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bellisima





*They* say that the notion that we all are one paycheck, one car payment, one house-payment, one illness, one natural catastophe, one job-loss, one bad husband/or abusive boyfiriend , from homelessness is wrong. *They* must live on Mars.

But for the grace of God, go we.

Thank you for the thread, Bella.