Welcoming Circle of Hope's New Board Member

We are excited to introduce Circle of Hope's new Board of Directors Member, Mariette Bien-Aime Ayala, PhD!

Dr. Ayala is Director of Urban and Off-Campus Support Services (U-Access) at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Boston. She completed her MA in Student Affairs and Higher Education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2013 and her PhD in Urban Education, Leadership and Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2019. She was born in Boston and has close ties to her family in Haiti. She enjoys working as an advocate for underrepresented youth in her community.

Dr. Ayala has been integral to the success of Circle of Hope's partnership with UMass Boston. As director of U-Access, she facilitates support for college students experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity and distributes COH donations to those in deepest need of our help. We are excited to welcome her to the COH Board of Directors, where her policy expertise, nonprofit board experience, and unique perspective as a COH partner will inform operations and amplify our mission helping students and families experiencing homelessness.

Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence Experiencing Homelessness

The overwhelming majority of adults Circle of Hope serves are survivors of interpersonal violence. Studies suggest more than 90% of women who are homeless in Massachusetts have experienced severe domestic or sexual violence at some point in their lives. Nationally, 22-57% of women who are homeless report domestic violence as the primary cause of homelessness. (1)

A survivor of domestic violence may have a limited window of time during which they can safely flee an abusive household. To avoid alerting the abuser of her plans, she may be forced to escape without essentials like clothing, identification, or medication. When a survivor arrives in a shelter with no personal belongings, Circle of Hope is there to help. We provide new clothing, shoes, linens, coats, and hygiene essentials within 24-48 hours of receiving a call for help from our partner shelters. These necessities meet survivors’ basic needs and help them on the road to recovery. 

The process of healing and rebuilding after abuse is long and can be particularly complex for survivors from the LGBTQIA+ community and other marginalized groups. Trauma has a long-term effect on physical and mental health, increasing the risk of depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance use disorders, and heart disease. We strategically partner with several domestic violence shelters and programs, including Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence and Fenway Health’s Violence Recovery Program, to meet the urgent needs of survivors and their children. Boston Police Department Community Service Officers give our donations to survivors in confidential protected locations. And given the enormous overlap between domestic violence and homelessness, Circle of Hope serves survivors of domestic and interpersonal violence at every one of our 28 partner programs. Our donations help survivors stay healthy and enable them to focus on other immediate priorities. 

As Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) ends, we recognize and honor the incredibly resilient survivors we serve, and all victims of domestic and interpersonal violence. We are proud to be part of the vital network of support for survivors and their families. 

Resources:

(1) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2016

New Go-To Crew Request: Clothing in all sizes for infants, children, and women

Refugees in Framingham need your help! 35 refugee families from Haiti are moving into South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) family shelters in Framingham and desperately need seasonal clothing.

Please help these vulnerable families stay healthy by donating new and like-new clothing in all sizes for infants, children, and women. 

Purchase these items from our Amazon Wish List or your preferred online retailer. Ship your donations to Circle of Hope at 1329 Highland Ave, Needham, MA 02492 or drop them off in the "Go-To Crew" bin outside Circle of Hope from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Monday, 9/19, Tuesday, 9/20, and Wednesday, 9/21. 

What Is Scattered Site Housing?

Two women sit on a porch in front of an open door with clear bags of clothing donations around them

This summer, Circle of Hope (COH) began serving families in scattered site housing units operated by South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) in Framingham. This is our first partnership of its kind, so you may be wondering: what is scattered site housing?

Scattered site housing refers to individual housing units, such as apartments, in which families experiencing homelessness live alone. Scattered site housing in Massachusetts is funded by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and operated by 52 nonprofits throughout the state, including SMOC. (1) Families cannot choose the location of their scattered site housing unit, but DHCD must try to place families within 20 miles of their hometown when possible. (2) On average, families stay in emergency shelter settings, including scattered site housing, for over a year. (3)

Larger families and families in which one or more members has a disability or complex medical need are typically prioritized for scattered site housing. Like in congregate shelter settings, families have access to case management and other support services. (4) But unlike families in congregate shelter settings, families in scattered site housing must purchase most of their own essential household items, including toilet paper, soap, laundry detergent, and other supplies.

Circle of Hope now makes monthly deliveries of clothing, infant essentials, and hygiene supplies to 10-12 families in scattered site housing, meeting their most urgent health and hygiene needs while helping them stretch limited income further and prioritize other daily necessities. COH volunteers bring the donations to SMOC headquarters in Framingham, where case managers can select the specific items each family needs. We made our first delivery in July after our previous SMOC partner shelter, Clinton House Family Shelter, closed.

Circle of Hope first partnered with SMOC in 2017 when we began serving Clinton House Family Shelter and Pearl Street Family Shelter. Our partnership with Pearl Street Family Shelter has not changed and we will continue providing clothing and hygiene essentials to families in shelter every month. The vital supplies we provide to families in congregate shelters and scattered site shelters enable children and parents to get to and from school and work safely, help families stay comfortable, and support physical and mental health and personal dignity.

Resources:

(1) The Boston Foundation

(2) Mass Legal Help

(3) Commonwealth of Massachusetts

(4) South Middlesex Opportunity Council

How Your Back To School Donations Help Kids Experiencing Homelessness

Combatting Clothing and Hygiene Insecurity in Boston and MetroWest Schools

Nearly 20,000 students in Massachusetts public schools experienced homelessness during the 2020-2021 academic year. In Boston Public Schools alone, 4,000 students experience homelessness every year.

Students experiencing homelessness are chronically absent from school at rates at least 2-3 times higher than their stably housed peers - due, in part, to clothing and hygiene insecurity. Students without access to seasonally appropriate, well-fitting clothing and hygiene essentials like soap, shampoo, and period products, are more likely to miss school. Children experiencing homelessness are also sick twice as often as their peers and have higher rates of mental health disorders like anxiety and depression.

Circle of Hope helps students experiencing homelessness in Boston and MetroWest stay healthy and attend school with confidence and dignity by providing them with new and like-new clothing, winter gear, shoes, and hygiene essentials. These vital supplies ensure that students can get to and from school safely, maintain personal hygiene to reduce their risk of viral and bacterial infections, and stay comfortable and confident throughout their day. By providing these essentials, we’re also helping lighten the mental load for thousands of parents experiencing homelessness by helping them meet these basic needs for their children. 

“My goal has always been to be a wonderful role model for my daughter by being able to provide the basic necessities of life,” said Camille Fenton, a former resident of Project Hope Family Shelter. “When my daughter comes up to me and tells me that her shoes are too tight or that her coat isn’t keeping her warm, I am instantly faced with a dilemma. Do I take the $20 I had budgeted towards her coat or do I buy these $16.99 shoes? With the help of Circle of Hope, I didn’t have to make those tough decisions.”

Your donations to Circle of Hope help students stay physically and mentally healthy, reduce rates of chronic absenteeism, and dismantle the barriers to education faced by children experiencing homelessness. You can help thousands of children stay healthy and learn comfortably:

  • Donate your child’s outgrown clothing in excellent condition. Visit our website to view our complete donation guidelines or schedule your donation drop-off appointment.

  • Shop for a full outfit (shirt, pants, underwear, socks) for a child who is the same size as your own child (or any size!). Schedule an appointment to drop off your donations or ship them directly to Circle of Hope at 1329 Highland Ave. Needham, MA 02492. 

  • Run a fall or winter collection drive to gather hygiene products, socks and underwear, winter accessories, or other much-needed items for children experiencing homelessness. View our Collection Drive Guide for help getting started.

  • Join our Go-To Crew to receive email alerts about urgent donation needs.

Your generosity has the power to change a child’s life. Together, we can help students experiencing homelessness stay healthy and stay in school.

Summer 2022 News from Circle of Hope

Dear Friends,

Happy summer! Circle of Hope's donation center will be closed in August, with donation drop-off appointments resuming in early September. Some staff will work remotely in August, so please don't hesitate to email us with questions!

In the meantime, please help fill our shelves for fall! Shop our Amazon Wish List and ship new clothing and essentials directly to Circle of Hope. When we re-open in September, we'll immediately resume shelter deliveries, bringing seasonal clothing and hygiene essentials to families and individuals experiencing homelessness and back-to-school clothing for children in Boston Public Schools and Framingham High School.

Planning a fall giving project or collection drive with your colleagues, classmates, or members of your community group? Our Collection Drive Guide is here to help! Together, assemble Welcome Baby Bags, Dignity Bags, Get Set packages, COVID Kits, or Emergency Clothing Kits and donate them to COH. Learn more.

We look forward to seeing you in September! We wish you a happy, healthy rest of your summer.

Warmly,

Barbara

Summer Highlights at Circle of Hope…

Donations Urgently Needed

We need your help giving seasonal essentials to families experiencing homelessness this spring! Please help fill our shelves for our upcoming shelter and clinic deliveries.

We especially need new and gently used sneakers for children and adults in all sizes and new and gently used unisex infant clothing in all sizes.

Please schedule your donation drop-off appointment by clicking the buttons below. Or ship these items directly to Circle of Hope through our Amazon Wish List or your preferred online retailer. Our shipping address is 1329 Highland Ave. Needham, MA 02492.

Thank you very much! We are so grateful for your help!

Circle of Hope | 1329 Highland Ave. Suite 3, Needham, MA 02492

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