Ending Homelessness with Friends of Boston’s Homeless
Friends of Boston’s Homeless
Boston, MA
The Winter Walk team recently had the chance to interview members of the incredible team at Friends of Boston’s Homeless, located at 12 Wise Street in Boston, to learn more about their work and commitment to the unhoused communities of Boston.
Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us today! Could you tell our readers about Friends of Boston’s Homeless?
Founded in 1987 and originally located at Boston’s Long Island Shelter, today Friends of Boston’s Homeless (FOBH) supports innovative, solutions-oriented programs with proven track records that help people transition from the streets and shelters into safe, stable housing with connections to community supports, services, and opportunities to remain in their homes and rebuild their lives. We focus on removing the final barriers of transition that often programs, and the people they help, don't have the means to cover. The final transition steps out of homelessness are the most crucial, and we make them happen.
FOBH has always prided itself on being able to react quickly to the needs of our constituents, responding because “but for Friends,” no one else will. This fiscal year, we have increased partnerships by 100%, career support by 5,700%, and increased the number of individuals supported with basic services (medical, hygiene, and food) by 85% due to the loss of SNAP benefits. Currently, we partner with over 30 organizations, including BHCHP, JRI, Charlestown Adult Education, Breaktime, and many others, providing $500,000 in support to their clients this fiscal year through housing start-up assistance, career start-up assistance, and food assistance. The importance of these funds cannot be overstated. FOBH overcomes barriers and delays, helping end someone’s homelessness and immediately improving their quality of life.
Who are the people you’re reaching through this work?
Those we serve, guests in Boston’s Emergency Shelters, clients case-managed by our nonprofit partners, and residents in our own Community Supportive Housing Programs, are experiencing homelessness or have recently transitioned from shelters or the streets into housing. Each year we help thousands of individuals and families, with over 900,000 individual touch points of support this fiscal year alone.
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?
Our Housing Start-Up Fund helps individuals experiencing homelessness move beyond shelter with the essential items needed. Being unhoused, savings for security deposits or first and last month's rent are non-existent, and individuals do not have the essential household items and basic necessities that everyone needs in their home. This fiscal year, we’ve supported 2,000 individuals and families with first month's rent, last month's rent, security deposits, utilities, and brand-new beds, bedding, and household items through our Housing Start-Up Fund.
Our Career Start-Up Fund helps individuals achieve self-sufficiency and connects them to vocational training, employment and educational opportunities by covering one-time course, exam, certification, and licensing fees and assisting with new job essentials. This fiscal year, we’ve supported over 1,000 individuals through our Career Start-Up Fund, assisting with licensing fees, birth certificates, school fees, graduation caps and gowns, work boots, hydration packs, etc.
Graduates have become Certified Nursing Assistants, restaurant managers, sous chefs, phlebotomists, pharmacy technicians, construction safety managers, steam firemen, cosmetologists, recovery coaches, and counselors.
Since our inception, we've partnered with Boston Public Health Commission and the City of Boston to support Boston's emergency shelters, Woods Mullen and Southampton, providing nearly $40 million in funding. We founded and continueto support multiple programs at Boston’s emergency shelters, including Front Door Triage, the Serving Our Selves workforce development program, and Rapid Rehousing. Additionally, we coordinate all volunteer opportunities at the emergency shelters, along with tangible donations supporting shelter guests.
This fiscal year, we’ve provided nearly 15,000 tangible items supporting guests, including new socks, underwear, hygiene products, toiletries, winter clothing, and more.
What are the greatest needs FOBH has?
Corporate partnerships to provide more services and support to our clients.
What is something you wish everyone understood about homelessness?
So many people live on the edge of homelessness and 19,000 people per week become homeless in the US.
What is something you wish everyone knew about unhoused people?
People experiencing homelessness do so as a result of many injustices. The current criminalization of homelessness exacerbates already existing mental health and substance abuse issues.
How can people help FOBH?
A financial donation of any size can help someone into safe, stable housing, connect them to critical services and opportunities, and get them started on their path to living peaceful, hopeful futures in our community. Visit our site for more information and other ways to help. https://fobh.org/ways-to-help/
Thank you so much for your time and we can’t wait to walk with you again in 2027!
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