As winter approaches and the temperatures begin to fall in Boston, help has arrived for those experiencing homelessness. The aid is in the form of 1,000 hygiene kits that were donated and delivered Oct. 23to Rosie’s Place, a local Boston area homeless shelter for poor and homeless women. The hygiene kits include Purell wipes, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, socks, granola bars, combs, deodorant and feminine hygiene products. The kits were donatedby Optum, a health services and technology company located in Boston, who coordinated a team of local volunteers to assemble, package and deliver the hygiene kits to Rosie’s Place.
More than a dozen 11th and 12th graders in Camp Harbor View’s Leader in Training Program as well as clients and employees from Optum joined forces to assemble and deliver the hygiene kits and show their support to help women served by Rosie’s Place. “We appreciate the wonderful donation and time put in by Optum employees, their clients and the teens at Camp Harbor View,” saidAlyssa Schoppee Rosie’s Place. “The kits make a big difference for the people we serve.”
The activity also served as an important lesson in community leadership for participants in Camp Harbor View’s Leader in Training Program, a year-round leadership development program for high school age youth in Boston. “We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Optum clients and volunteers, alongside our Leaders in Training, to assemble these kits for the women of Rosie’s Place,” Jenny Callahan, director of operations & partnerships at Camp Harbor View said. “At Camp Harbor View, we encourage young people to lead by example and be active participants in their communities.”
Women and children are the fastest growing population experiencing homelessness, with 15 percent of Massachusetts children living in poverty. Rosie’s Place provides meals and shelter to poor and homeless women as well as wide-ranging support, including housing and education services. “Working with at-risk youth at Camp Harbor View to support Rosie’s Place, is an opportunity to have meaningful experiences with the youth participants while helping the homeless in Boston with their basic needs,” said Melissa Brown, an Optum senior director,whose team spearheaded the effort to recruit Optum client and colleague. “We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Boston community on this important project, and we know the supplies will be put to good use by Rosie’s Place.
