Coronavirus strain COVID-19

Coronavirus strain COVID-19

We take the spread of respiratory diseases within our population very seriously, and the health and safety of our guests, tenants, staff, and volunteers is our top priority.

St. Francis House is committed to staying open and available as a refuge for our guests who rely on us during the COVID-19 emergency. As we navigate the impact, we are making changes to our services and operations. For our latest information regarding COVID-19, please check out www.sfhclothingdr.wpengine.com/COVID19. Thank you.

At this time, a gift to St. Francis House provides critical funding for increased costs associated with caring for our vulnerable homeless neighbors and supporting our staff during the coronavirus strain COVID-19 pandemic. Please know every dollar contributed will aid in the increased costs in order to continue our services.

To make a secure, tax-deductible donation now, click here.

#MarathonMonday: Meet Carrie Neff!

We’re a few weeks out from the 124th Boston Marathon® and Team St. Francis House is hard at work. In preparation for #MarathonMonday on April 20, each week we’ll be introducing one of our runners!

This week’s feature is on Carrie Neff. By day, Carrie is working on the admin-side of the Marathon as the St. Francis House Event Coordinator. By night (and weekends, and just about every other waking minute when she isn’t at her desk…) she’s training hard for the big day!


1. Start by introducing yourself – your name, where you work, where you’re from?

My name is Carrie Neff and I am originally from New Jersey but I have lived in Philadelphia, Chicago, and LA before making my home in Boston -and I actually started working at St. Francis House almost one year ago as their Event Coordinator (April 1st will be my one year anniversary!)

2. What is the most challenging part of your Marathon training so far?

I think the most challenging part of the training has been keeping up my long runs on the weekends.  I am now at the point where every long run is the longest/farthest I have ever gone (previously the farthest I had run was two separate half marathons in 2014 and 2008). Going into each weekend knowing I will be attempting the hardest run I have ever attempted can feel daunting, but I always feel amazing after completing that distance!

3. Most people would never even consider taking on a challenge like this – how and why did you decide to run a marathon for an organization like St. Francis House?

I have entertained running a marathon for a number of years now after completing a few other races within the last 10 years, it has been a recurring question in the back of my mind: could I complete that distance one day?

When St Francis House had one open bib left I thought it was serendipity and it would be the perfect opportunity to try it out – all while raising money for one of the greatest, most effective organizations! Double bonus!

4. When did you first get into running? How did/does it make you feel?

I first started running as part of my high school’s track team but really started to enjoy it recreationally in college when I started participating in several 5K’s.In 2008, I trained for my first half marathon in Chicago as part of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago Team. The race that year was in literal pouring rain… We were running through puddles and it was hard to even see a few feet in front of us – but finishing that race made me feel like I could do anything including, hopefully, completing my first Marathon this year!

5. What part of St. Francis House’s work interests you the most?

I particularly appreciate the philosophy of having all the resources someone would need in one place. For people experiencing homelessness, it is challenging enough to have to identify all of the resources available to try to get your life in order – including access to medical care, recovery support services, and job training. Realizing the difficulty I myself have when figuring out where my own appointments are and how to get to them and when to get to them is extremely difficult and I can see how that would be a barrier to anyone.

At St. Francis House, our guests have access to everything from food to hot showers to housing assistance to job training right at 39 Boylston Street and that is such an effective approach.

6. Is there something about SFH you wish everyone knew?

I wish everyone could witness firsthand the amount of enthusiasm that former guests have for St. Francis House.  I have had the opportunity of working with several of the Sullivan Family Moving Ahead Program graduates and they have all been so happy to come back and speak for us or advocate for us. The amount of gratitude people have for being given a proper chance to succeed, it’s really a testament to the positive difference St. Francis House has made in their lives.

7. What would you say to someone who is considering running their first marathon?

I think you’ll never know what your body and mind is capable of until you try! Also, I am learning that although there is a good amount of physical strength necessary to complete this goal it is even more so a matter of building mental strength.  I would say it’s 20% physical and 80% mental.

Go Carrie! We’re rooting for you!

Click here to support Carrie’s race to the finish line and help her reach her goal in support of St. Francis House!

Did you know you can meet Carrie, along with other Team St. Francis House runners, at Joe’s American Bar and Grill next month on April 8th at our Race to the Finish Line event? Check out tickets here!

International Women’s Day 2020

There is a misconception that homelessness is a male-orientated problem. Today, International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to share how women experiencing homelessness are affected and supported by St. Francis House.

On the 2nd floor of our day shelter in downtown Boston, The Carolyn Connors Women’s Center helps more than 500 women each year.

Women experiencing homelessness live under the constant threat of violence, the extremely chaotic nature of homelessness, fear of authority, and stigma. And, for women, the high levels of trauma caused by homelessness are linked to long term changes in neurobiology and physical health which can alter emotions, distort cognitive processes, and change behavior. Survival over health is often prioritized. All of these factors combined require St. Francis House to be very strategic and take individualized approaches to address the very unique needs of each of our women guests.

The very first step in the process of empowering women to change the trajectory of their lives begins with gaining trust. 

Part of our work is in our commitment and ability to develop relationships with individuals who come here for day refuge services, create in them a sense of hope and belief that they can make positive change in their lives, and then wrap the necessary services around them to ensure they are getting a stable footing in moving forward.

Women who experienced homelessness, including those who find comfort at St. Francis House, often have extensive and difficult histories and experiences with abuse and violence. One of the most important services we can provide is a safe place of refuge. 

Our Women’s Center is a women-only space that helps hundreds of women each year by understanding and responding to the unique way homeless women see themselves.

The welcoming environment of our Women’s Center provides space for comfort and privacy. We provide a calm and quiet space for our women guests with comfortable chairs, snacks, and camaraderie, so feelings of safety and calmness can be restored. Staff at our Women’s Center work with our guests to build relationships and expand their community networks.

With a goal of empowerment, we work to restore an individual’s choice and control over their lives that past abuse has tried to take away.

We encourage them to share their stories and give them the space they need to do so. We support our guests in developing meaningful relationships with staff, other guests, and their own communities. By restoring choice and control, we empower women to change the trajectory of their lives.

As part of our trauma-informed approach, we have exciting updates for the Carolyn Connors Women’s Center. Future plans include expanding the Center and enhancing our current model to serve an additional 250 women per year while strengthening our ability to ensure safety and target support services for women who are particularly vulnerable, such as women with severe mental illness or those who are in recovery.

At St. Francis House, we acknowledge that every guest who crosses our threshold has value, can make positive change in their lives, and has a role to play in the community. We acknowledge that our guests are the experts on their own lives, and every day we see women make lasting change and begin to thrive.

Our programs and services are rooted in the belief that recovery is possible for all of our guests. This philosophy is exemplified through the resilience of the women who find comfort at St. Francis House.

#MarathonMonday: Meet Lauren Ward!

We are almost a month away from the 124th Boston Marathon® and Team St. Francis House is hard at work training for the big day. In preparation for #MarathonMonday on April 20, each week we’ll be introducing one of our runners!

Today we sat down with Lauren Ward – a Massachusetts native currently living in the Big Apple who has decided to run her first marathon for Team St. Francis House!


  1.       Start by introducing yourself – your name, where you work, where you’re from?

My name is Lauren Ward, I’m currently working in New York City as Program Coordinator at Youth Service Opportunities Project (YSOP), and as a Visitor Services Assistant at the Whitney Museum of American Art. I grew up between Dorchester and Holbrook, MA.

  1.       What is the most challenging part of your Marathon training so far?

Being disciplined to make it happen! Balancing training with a full-time job, a part-time job, fundraising, sleeping and eating enough has definitely been most challenging – especially getting into higher mileage where runs are taking longer. I have to keep a rigid schedule to stay on track and I LOVE distractions.

  1.       Most people would never even consider taking on a challenge like this – How & Why did you decide to run a marathon for an organization like SFH?

Running a marathon has been a goal of mine for many years. Service work with people experiencing hunger and homelessness has been an interest of mine since volunteering with Walk for Hunger in middle school and became a real passion while participating on Alternative Break trips throughout college. It was through the same leadership office in my first year of college that I volunteered, and convinced my mom to volunteer, for “finish line breakdown” at the 2013 Boston Marathon.

Among many emotions, two things became clear to me with surviving that day: I am on this earth to live for helping others, and I will one day cross that finish line as a runner. At 26 years old, I decided 2020 would be a good year to accomplish that. When a friend sent me the application for St. Francis House it was an easy decision – the mission aligns with so much of my life work and it immediately made sense to run with and raise money for an organization that is providing safe refuge and basic services to my neighbors back home.

  1.       When did you first get into running? How did/does it make you feel?

I’ve been running since I can remember. My Nana reminds me of times, as a kid when I would run alongside her car and she would track how fast and far I could go. I ran on track teams throughout middle and high school and continued running casually as a way to clear my mind. Running gives me freedom, stress relief, makes me feel empowered, excited, and on top of this city that often becomes overwhelming.

  1.       What part of St. Francis House’s work interests you the most?

Art Therapy interests me the most. I have used creative expression and process to work through a lot of self-discovery. I believe it’s important to have a safe space to learn about and grow yourself, like that provided by the Margaret Stewart Lindsay Art Studio.

  1.       Is there something about SFH you wish everyone knew?

The work SFH is doing is essential. Our society often ignores what we don’t want to accept. St. Francis House takes the care to treat every individual with the same amount of respect and dignity, building folks up through the many programs and resources. A big part of this work is putting a face on the problem, for people to understand that this exists all around us, and diminish preconceived stereotypes about humans living this experience.

  1.       What would you say to someone who is considering running their first marathon?

Do it! Think less about how much you have in front of you, more about how much you have behind and the strength you have within you.

Go Lauren! Good Luck!

Click here to support Lauren’s race to the finish line and help her reach her goal in support of St. Francis House!