Ending homelessness with Circle of Hope
Circle of Hope
Needham, MA
The Winter Walk team recently had the pleasure of interviewing members of the incredible team at Circle of Hope, located at 1329 Highland Ave in Needham, to learn more about their work and commitment to the homeless communities of Massachusetts.
Could you tell our readers about Circle of Hope?
At Circle of Hope, our mission is to provide individuals and families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity with clothing and hygiene essentials to promote health and opportunity. We make regular deliveries of weather-appropriate clothing, shoes, bedding, and hygiene essentials to 42 partner programs, including homeless shelters, healthcare centers, schools, universities, first responders, and other community organizations. Each delivery includes hygiene kits filled with basic hygiene staples like soap, shampoo, and socks.
Circle of Hope provides individuals and families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity with clothing and hygiene essentials to promote health and opportunity.
It’s incredible that you’re able to reach such a wide network of partners every month. Who are the people you’re reaching through this work?
Circle of Hope provides inclusive, culturally appropriate support to people of all ages experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. Last year, we served more than 35,000 people, including infants, children, LGBTQIA+ youth and adults, college students, refugees, older adults, and survivors of domestic violence. Our 42 community partners operate in and mostly support those living in Boston and MetroWest Massachusetts.
Fundraisers with the Temple Beth Elohim team walking with Circle of Hope staff at Winter Walk 2025 Boston.
It’s easy to take for granted how vital everyday hygiene items are, not just for health, but for self-esteem and dignity. We love the idea of your hygiene kits and we’re honored to support your work through Winter Walk. Can you share how the funds raised this year are being used to support your programs?
We are thrilled to share that the nearly $25,000 raised for Circle of Hope will enable us to move a new partner off our waitlist!
We will use the funds to launch an ongoing partnership with a new shelter, hospital, school, or community organization and provide clothing and hygiene essentials on a continual basis. Launching a new long-term partnership involves substantial preparation as we work to determine the partner's needs, set up a delivery schedule, identify points of contact at the partner organization and coordinate delivery drivers on our end, and Winter Walk funds will support this process.
But, of course, the largest expense comes from the clothing itself! Whether we purchase the clothing, coats, shoes, and hygiene items or source them from our community, a significant portion of the $25,000 required to launch a new partnership will cover the tangible resources we provide. Depending on the size of the new partner organization, Winter Walk funds will enable Circle of Hope to provide an additional several dozen to several hundred individuals with clothing and essentials on a regular basis, promoting health and fostering opportunity for our neighbors experiencing homelessness. We have an ambitious goal to reach 50 partner programs by the end of 2028 and these funds will literally move us one step closer to that goal.
Our Emergency Response program supports families facing acute crises like house fires, extreme weather, or domestic violence. Within 24-48 hours of receiving an urgent call for help from our partner, we deliver a tailored set of essentials needed by families in emergency situations.
Monthly essentials deliveries underway at our partner sites.
Through our Welcome Baby program, families with newborns receive a variety of essentials for infant care and postpartum recovery, including postpartum care kits and fully stocked diaper bags to help give babies experiencing homelessness a strong and healthy start in life. These bags include newborn care essentials from wipes and diaper cream to onesies and sleepers.
Nationwide, 1 in 10 youth (ages 18-25) will experience homelessness every year. In Massachusetts, 17% of public college students report being unhoused. At Circle of Hope, we believe all young people deserve equitable access to health and opportunity, whether they’re heading off to college or diving into a career. That is where our Get Set program comes in.
Launched in 2019 in partnership with Framingham State University, the Get Set program now supports students at 11 of our 42 community partners, providing every day and college essentials to young people experiencing homelessness.
Graduation event for youth supported by Circle of Hope.
Diaper Bags from the Welcome Baby program.
What are the greatest needs Circle of Hope has?
We need financial support to launch new community partnerships, in-kind support of clothing and hygiene donations, and community engagement.
What is something you wish everyone understood about homelessness?
It can happen to anyone due to a systemic lack of affordable housing, not personal failure. There is no simple path out of homelessness - it takes a village to support people navigating the hurdles between them and stable housing. Providing basic resources such as clothing, hygiene and every day supplies is only one part of the support required. Other services required, that many of our partners already offer, are temporary shelter and case management to help address hurdles such as lack of identification, employment, or mental health concerns.
What is something you wish everyone knew about unhoused people?
People experiencing homelessness come from all walks of life. Many are surprised to learn that our Welcome Baby and Get Set programs support often-overlooked groups: newborns and postpartum mothers, and college and career-bound students.
How can people help Circle of Hope?
Stay connected: Join our Go-To Crew to receive alerts about urgent donation needs or subscribe to our newsletter for updates on volunteer opportunities, events, and our work.
Get involved: Organize a collection drive or volunteer event with your community, donate to support our mission, or connect us with corporate partners who can donate new clothing, shoes, or hygiene supplies.
Follow us on social media and help spread the word to your friends and family!
Learn more about how to get involved here.
Thank you so much for your time and we can’t wait to walk with you again in 2027!
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