Friends of Boston's Homeless

Founded in 1987, Friends of Boston’s Homeless works in partnership with Homeless Services of he Boston Public Health Commission to develop and support innovative, solution-oriented programs to help homeless men, women and their children move beyond shelter to lead independent lives in the community. In addition, through advocacy and education, the Friends seeks to increase the public’s awareness and understanding of the realities of homelessness.

Friends/Homeless Services network provides basic shelter (bed, shower, food), comprehensive supportive services (health and mental health care, case management, substance abuse treatment and counseling), and transitional programs like job training and employment services, adult education and literacy, life skills development, and transitional and permanent affordable housing. Shelters associated with Friends/Homeless Services include Long Island Shelter (located in Boston Harbor) and Woods Mullen Shelter in the South End.

These programs now help over 200 homeless men, women and their children each year move beyond shelter and back into the community with an education, gainful employment and permanent housing. The partnership is one of the largest providers of homeless services in New England.

One of the most effective solutions to homelessness is to help homeless individuals gain independence through education, employment, life skills development, and permanent housing. This is especially true for the increasing number of younger homeless individuals. However, the solution is not as simple as building houses, schools and businesses. Nor is simply providing a bed, shower and a hot meal for the night sufficient for a permanent move beyond homelessness.

Many of the homeless have long histories in the Boston community: they have cycled for years between foster homes, DYS, DSS (as youths) and shelters, correctional facilities, marginal housing and low-income neighborhoods. Many have also experienced abusive family lives and relationships, and as a result they often lack role models and have difficulty sustaining motivation. Most have never in their lives known opportunity or stability. All have known repeated failure.

The homeless also often have inadequate education and lack the basic job skills, work experience, social supports and life and coping skills necessary to succeed independently in the community. Lasting success for the homeless is difficult without first receiving assistance in addressing these issues.

How You Can Help

Looking for Something to Do in After School?

Prepare or sponsor and serve a meal at Long Island Shelter or Wood Mullen Shelter. Community Meals Sponsors can be as small as four and as large as twenty people. Dinner is served from 5:00 to 8:00 at Long Island and from 6:00 to 8:00 at Woods Mullen.

How About Something for Your School's Community Service Day?

Planting, weeding, harvesting at The Farm on Long Island is a great on-going project for a small group or a one day project for a larger group.

Painting projects are available at all of our sites can addommodate ten to twenty people.

Landscaping / Gardening at the Hope Chapel and around the Island can also be an on-going project for a small group or a one-day project for a larger group.

Can't Get Out Here? Here are Some Volunteer Opportunities You Can Do Right From Your School, Club, Church or Synagogue.

Can't get a group together, or can't make it to one of our sites? Hold a drive at school, club or place of worship. Operation Sock Drop and Warm Hands Warm Hearts Winter Apparel Drive are both populaar drives with schools. Drives are a great way to get the entire school, etc. involved and have a big impact on the health, safety and comfort of our community's homeless.

Individual volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.