Rosie’s Place, Now at Franklin Field

Rosie’s Place, a women’s shelter in Boston’s South End, has recently opened a satellite office in Dorchester, MA at the Franklin Field public housing development, in hopes of being able to expand their help to women throughout the city.
 
This new office, located at 145 Ames Street, provides different services, constructed to assist poor and homeless woman seeking aid and guidance. Including advocacy, outreach, family law and career counseling, the programs at the satellite office are designed to serve and benefit the residents of Franklin Field, along with others in the area. Although they work closely with tenants, especially the elderly, “the door is always open” for anyone that is in need of help, says Community Collaborative Manager, Catherine Louis.
 
The different services are specialized to help overcome any obstacles that may arise. Specifically, the advocacy service is available to help individuals find long-lasting fixes to problems they are facing.
 
The outreach service is focused mainly on preventing homelessness and providing support for women to “break the cycle of homelessness”. It is a beneficial service for those seeking support and resources.
 
The family law service is available for those looking for legal help with issues such as domestic violence, child custody and DCF. This service is available every Wednesday from 9am-5pm, partnering with Greater Boston Legal Services, and lawyers are available for both help and full representation when needed.
 
Lastly, the career counselor service, along with Operation A.B.L.E, provides women with assistance on searching for and obtaining a job. This service, which is available every Monday and Tuesday from 9am-4pm, includes resources such as resume writing and job interview training. 

Just as the original Rosie’s Place, founded in 1974, the new office has the intention of helping women “maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security in their lives”. In doing so, they are extending their work by reaching out to new women; preserving and carrying on the initial motives of the shelter.

Louis, working closely with different organizations, such as Youth Link, puts together events and programs to be run each month.  Generally the tenants are able to attend movie nights, monthly museum trips, jewelry-making nights, and bingo. They are also able to participate in information sessions, workshops, presentations, and guest speaker events.
 
“They say what they are interested in, and that’s how we get the ideas” said Louis, describing how the calendars of activities are created each month.
 
To add to the benevolent work the new office is doing, every other Wednesday they receive 35 grocery bags from a local food pantry, filled with essentials such as bread, milk, eggs, and vegetables, and hand them out to families in need. Each household is allowed one bag per month, meaning that they are helping 70+ families every month.
 
On December 22, Rosie’s Place at Franklin Field hosted a Holiday potluck party for the tenants of the development and their families. With a show of 70 adults, including elderly, and 97 children, the party was as success. In light of the holiday season, residents and their children received food and gifts, with a surprise visit from the beloved, jolly old soul, Santa Claus!
 
Louis concluded by talking about the overall success of the new services by saying “it has been really, really good!”
 
She hopes, that with weekly newsletter and talks about installing a sign on the front of the building, her plan of becoming more well-known and resourceful to the residents of the area is achieved.