Danielle’s life unraveled in stages. In 2005, pregnant with her second child, her fiancé died in a car accident, leaving her bereft and traumatized, but still able to care for her children with her own father’s support. Several years later, she married a man with whom she had another child. He abused her and in the […]
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A Closer Look: Our Partnership with MassHire
MassHire is a statewide agency connecting jobseekers across the Commonwealth to quality education, skills training and employment opportunities. Here at St. Francis House, our workforce development department is a MassHire access point. Through this partnership we ensure people experiencing homelessness can benefit from MassHire resources with increased accessibility and the support of our staff. In prior years, MassHire operated as a one-stop […]
Welcome to Katherine Martinez, our Newest Board Member
Could you share a bit about your background? I’ve been working in the affordable housing sector for most of my professional career. I first started out working for the Lena Park Community Development Corporation managing Winn Residential and the Lena Park Portfolio. I went on to transition into doing work more focused on advocacy through my role at the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations – a membership organization that serves as the policy and […]
Sharing the Comfort of Music with the Guests of St. Francis House
As a former attorney who switched careers to pursue her creative passions, Antonia Nedder is a big believer in the power of music. “Music is what I do, and what I love,” she says. “It can be incredibly healing, and I thought that it might be something that the men and women who come through […]
Sheila Zarba-Campbell Reflects on the Reward & Recovery Found in her Work
In a special guest blog post, our Campaign Director Sheila Zarba-Campbell writes about her experience losing her husband in the terrorist attack of 9/11 and how she is able to find comfort through her work at St. Francis House. One of the ironies of life is that our greatest happiness may come from loving […]
Wishing a Happy Retirement to Luis Fernandez-Castro!
We wish our congratulations and best wishes to Luis Fernandez-Castro who is retiring after more than 20 years of serving the guests at St. Francis House. Luis first arrived in Boston from Colombia in 1994. After a few years of acclimating to his new community and life, he joined the St. Francis House staff in […]
Fostering Creativity & Self Expression through our Art Therapy Program
After a year of closing due to COVID-19, the expressive art studio here at St. Francis House has reopened under the leadership of art therapist, Gurleen Anand. Gurleen works diligently to ensure all our guests feel they have a safe and secure place to express themselves freely through creative mediums. As the largest day shelter […]
Boston Mayoral Candidates Forum: Pathways Out of Homelessness
Join us for a virtual election forum with the candidates for Boston mayor, focused on homelessness & moderated by Marcela Garcia from The Boston Globe. […]
BBJ Op-ed: Everyday kindness can help alleviate homelessness
More than a year into the Covid-19pandemic, we must remember the continued needs of some the most vulnerable in our community: those experiencing homelessness. As individuals and business leaders, it can be easy to let the feelings of being embittered and embattled convince us that we are powerless to effect positive change in our community. […]
Pride Month at St. Francis House
Around the country, and around St. Francis House, June is Pride month – a time to celebrate all members of the LGBTQ+ communities. Why June? The 1950’s and early 1960’s saw the emergence of what was to become the gay rights movement. Back then, if you were gay or transgender, you were likely living a […]
