Rosie’s Place

Rosie’s Place is a Boston nonprofit founded on Easter Sunday 1974 by Kip Tiernan as the first women’s shelter in the United States. What started as a safe place for poor and homeless women to get a bed and a meal has become a multi-service community center supporting about 12,000 women a year. Its mission is to provide a safe, nurturing environment that helps women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security.

Services include an overnight shelter open every day of the year, daily meals in a bright dining room, and a weekday food pantry stocked with fresh meat, dairy, produce and household items. Women living on the street can do laundry, shower, collect mail, use phones and computers and store belongings in lockers. The Women’s Education Center offers ESOL, literacy and technology classes, and multilingual advocates help guests, alongside legal assistance and housing and job search services.

What to Know

• Rosie’s Place accepts no government funding and relies on private donors.
• Individuals and groups can volunteer.
• Runners can raise money for Rosie’s Place through the Boston Marathon.
• The annual Funny Women…Serious Business luncheon supports its work.
• A virtual tour of the center is available online.