Homeless Shelters in Boston
As with most metropolitan areas, there is an ongoing need for homeless shelters in Boston. Studies indicate that rather than disappearing the plight of the homeless continues to grow and the need for homeless shelters in Boston continues to grow as well. Support for homeless shelters in Boston comes from churches, government, fraternal organizations and civic groups. The efforts of these groups coupled with the good willed generosity of people throughout the commonwealth have made it possible to develop several nationally recognized homeless shelters in Boston.
The Pine St. Inn is uncontestably the largest homeless shelter in Boston. At the most basic level Pine St. Inn provides a hot meal, a shower, a clean bed and a locker to those in need each night. But on a broader level Pine St. Inn truly exists not just as an emergency site but as a place where people can find help in moving from total dependency to self reliance.
Pine St. Inn sees its guests as real people coming from varied situations which have resulted in their current homelessness. Keeping the human dignity of each person uppermost, counselors and other voluteers at Pine St. Inn work with the homeless to resolve outstanding issues that are keeping them from finding full time living accomodations. To this end the Inn offers job training and readiness programs, literacy training, and English as a Second Language training. The Inn assists the homeless with substance abuse issues, provides emergency and preventive healthcare through the auspices of Boston Healthcare for the Homeless and provides those in need with suitable seasonal clothing. Pine St. Inn is dedcated to providing whatever help is need to assist the homeless to find their way back to a job and a real home.
While they work towards these goals Pine St. Inn provides programs that give the Boston homeless hope in their own futures. Those who are working part or full time jobs but who still can’t find affordable housing may find it possible to live in the transitional housing at the Pine St. Inn or in one of the transitional housing units the Inn owns and operates throughout Boston. There they can enjoy secure housing while they continue to save and build for a better future. In this way Pine St. Inn shelters the homeless but also allows them to keep their self esteem and their hopes alive.
Pine St. Inn actively seeks out those homeless individuals in the city of Boston who are fearful of the large shelter experience but who still are without food, clothing, medical care or a roof over their heads. To meet these needs Pine St. Inn has established an overnight drop In called the Boston Night Center in downtown Boston. There the personal needs of the homeless are met on a smaller scale, trust is developed and counseling services are provided to the most maraginalized of the homeless population.
Pine St. Inn also deals with the homeless who simply refuse any shelter assistance at all. Each night in Boston some 200 plus individuals remain on the streets all night. In cold or inclement weather these individuals are at great risk. To assist them Pine St. Inn sends two care vans out throughout the night to offer blankets, food, clothing and medical assistance to these homeless people. Pine St. Inn is a major homeless shelter in Boston and so very much more.
When morning comes in Boston, guests at Pine St. Inn have breakfast and then empty back out onto the streets leaving the support staff to clean the Inn and prepare for the return of guests in the late afternoon. Some of the homeless go to jobs but many are still seeking employment. Without specialized daytime assistance the homeless unemployed would be without shelter throughout the day in all seasons and all weather. The largest daytime shelter for the homeless in New England is Boston’s St. Francis House.
St. Francis house offers guests multi-faceted services. The shelter prepares breakfast and lunch each day and customarily serves up to 500 guests from a well balanced menu. Recognizing the primary needs of the homeless , St. Francis house routinely fills up to 700 clothing requests each month, including coats for the winter months.
In cooperation with Boston Health Care for the Homeless St. Francis House accomodates the medical, dental and eye care needs of the homeless. Keeping with the medical realities of the time St Francis house also extends the opportunity for homeless daytime visitors to receive testing for HIV. Job counseling for those with employment issues, non-denominational pastoral counseling for those with spiritual needs , and general assistance for those seeking permanent housing are all available for guests at this homeless shelter in Boston.
