The
Shelter
Pine
Street Inn is a multi-service shelter for homeless men and women, a place where
those to whom all other doors seem currently closed come for sustenance and
survival. Among the people met here are
the old and the lonely, the young and the unemployed, the depressed and the
discouraged, and the alcoholic and the mentally disturbed. Some stay for only part of the day, and
others stay for days and months. While
the
Inn
tries to help the men and women to their fuller
living, it in no way pushes guests beyond their inclinations or strengths. The
Inn
serves 1200
meals each night and shelters 350 men and 200 women each night. Each month, 1000 complete sets of clothing
are issued and more than 1500 men and women receive basic medical care that
they might otherwise forego or be denied. No fees are charged. The shelter
asks for a name when a bed is assigned; beyond that, anonymity is
respected. Full-time counselors are
available for aiding guests with social services, health services, and
alcoholism services.
4Boston's
Role
4Boston
volunteers are particularly needed to serve in:
1.
preparing the
Inn
for nightly arrangements, including setting up
housing, and other behind the scenes work,
2. working while guests enter the building, directing them and
helping them receive appropriate resources,
3. helping the staff to provide resources (e.g. distributing
clothing, meal tickets, and housing information), and
4. befriending guests while mingling in the lobby.
4Boston
students do tasks which best suit the student and meet the needs of the
Inn
.
Aside from any specific task which 4Boston students will be performing, the
most important part of their work at the
Inn
will be simple time spent in direct contact with guests – talking with the
lonely, listening to the frustrated, hearing out the confused, and supporting
the person whose legs have given out.
Hours
3:30 – 7 pm
Council
Member
Kate Swofford swofforc@bc.edu
Location
The
Inn
is located at:
444
Harrison Ave.
,
Boston
,
MA
02118
. Google
Maps
The commute for
volunteers is about one hour.
For more information . . .
You can always
contact the council member above if you have any questions about 4Boston's
Pine Street
group.
The shelter's
website is located at http://www.pinestreetinn.org.
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