The first women-only shelter in the U.S., Rosie’s Place offers innovative solutions for thousands of women each year. For more than 50 years, as our mission, we have provided a safe and nurturing environment that helps poor and homeless women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security in their lives. And we have done so independently, without government funding, to ensure that our help is made consistently available to those who need it most.

Founder Kip Tiernan created Rosie's Place with a simple yet profound plan: a woman in need should have a place where she can go, where she will be treated with love, compassion and understanding and where help should be offered without judgement and without strings attached. This bold vision guides our work at Rosie’s Place each and every day.  

Rosie’s Place removes barriers to services so that our guests have access to all of the things needed to live well: nutritious food, stable housing, quality healthcare, mental health and recovery supports, legal services, employment, education, and more. Our wide range of wrap-around services includes:

ESSENTIAL & EMERGENCY SERVICES: Hearty, culturally-inclusive meals in the Dining Room 365 days/year; fresh food and groceries to help families through the week

Hot showers and toiletries; laundry machines for clean clothes; basic health care and referrals from Wellness Center staff; safe overnight shelter for up to 28 days/nights for up to 20 women at a time; and a private place to contact loved ones (private phones/ computers), lockers, and a location to receive mail.

STABILIZING SERVICES: one-on-one support from multi-lingual Advocates to help address urgent concerns; eviction prevention,  including negotiated utilities and rental payments; housing search & home-visiting in the Housing Stabilization program; crisis intervention & mental-health and recovery support groups; legal services; case management; transportation for important appointments; and translation of critical documents.

OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMS: English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes for a range of abilities; writing and literacy workshops; employment search; computer Lab and skill-building workshops; support through job training programs (from enrollment through completion); workplace self-advocacy support and help finding higher-paying jobs; resume and Cover Letter writing.

This year, we served more than 13,200 women—more women than ever before and 1,200 more than the previous year. You make our work possible and together we are creating a future where all women are met with dignity, compassion, and the support they need to thrive.