Nature and Purpose
For the past thirty-five years, Rosie's Place has provided emergency services and long-term assistance to poor women who do not have the financial resources to meet the everyday expenses of city life. We create an atmosphere of respect in which women can pursue self-identified goals and in which staff and volunteers can work effectively to help them access needed services. Rosie's Place has the distinction of being the first drop-in emergency sanctuary for women in the United States. We have progressed from simply providing shelter, to offering solutions - from the immediate needs of food, clothing and shelter - to the long-term needs of education, advocacy and permanent housing.
While Rosie's Place continually works to provide expanded services to meet the changing needs of the community, its mission remains clear: To provide a safe and nurturing environment to help poor and homeless women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity, and find security in their lives.
Tasks
PULSE students work in four different areas. In the dining room they work as Friendly Visitors and they spend the majority of their time talking and creating connections with our guests. They will also help set up the dining room for a meal and may have to help serve and clean-up the meal if there are not enough other volunteers. Our dining room serves 250 meals per day to women and children. Students also work as Friendly Visitors and assist staff in our overnight program which provides short-term emergency housing to twenty women. Students help check in and escort women who are shopping in our food pantry which distributes 1400 bags of groceries per month. Students in the Women's Craft Cooperative, (WCC) which is a micro-business that employs our guests and makes jewelry to sell, will help make jewelry and sell jewelry at craft fairs and assist with special projects.
Time Requirement
Students can work two four hour shifts or one overnight shift each week to meet PULSE time requirements. Available shifts are as follows:
Groceries: 8am to 12 noon, Tuesday-Friday
Dinner: 4 PM to 8 PM, weekdays
Overnight Shift: 8 PM to 6:30 AM, 7 days/week
Women's Craft Cooperative (WCC): 10 AM to 5 PM Tues, Wed, Thurs - flexible hours.
Supervision
All shifts are supervised by Rosie's Place staff as well as veteran volunteers who provide regular guidance and support. In addition, the Volunteer Services Director holds a group meeting for all Rosie's Place PULSE volunteers each semester to discuss the Learning Work Agreement and evaluations, and is available on an "as-needed" basis throughout the year.
Supervisor:
Marty Wengert, Volunteer Services Director
Address
889 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 318-0218
www.rosiesplace.org
Council Member
Kristin Demafeliz