Women's Lunch Place

Unbelievable!!! The Boston Athletic Association has announced that the fundraising total for the 130th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America was a record-breaking $57.3 million! The previous record, set last year, was $50.4 million.

We are so, so proud of our runners—Kaeleen, Heather, Ana, and Amelia—for making this achievement possible and supporting women in need through their immense efforts. Thank you and congratulations to Team WLP and every charity runner this year!

Homemade tiramisu at Women’s Lunch Place! A labor of love and a treat for our community—everyone truly enjoyed it. Note: it tasted as good as it looks 💚💛

Calling all property owners!!

The one-of-a-kind 🔑 Landlord Fair 🔑 returns to Women's Lunch Place on Wednesday, June 3rd, from 3PM - 5PM. Save that date!

At this event, you can help households move out of homelessness and into stable housing **while also** receiving valuable benefits for making a difference.

The City of Boston facilitates a program that supports landlords with signing bonuses and a dedicated customer service provider to help throughout the leasing process and tenancy.

This is a chance to showcase your available units to individuals with vouchers who are ready to sign leases—while playing a direct role in creating housing stability in our community.

We can't wait to see you there!

THANK YOU to the incredible number of generous folks who chose to support our guests this Mother's Day!

Because of you, more women will have access to nutritious meals (pictured here from our Mother's Day celebration), housing support, and a pathway forward.

For one longtime donor, Mary Jacobs, this same act of kindness sparked a decades-long connection:

"About 25 years ago, my friend showed me a beautiful Mother's Day card she received, painted by a guest from Women's Lunch Place.

Even better—she invited me to join her one day to volunteer at the shelter.

My visit was transformative. I became a Wednesday volunteer and worked in the kitchen until I moved to California in 2009. During that time, I had the pleasure of serving on the Board of Directors and was inspired to teach local children in the Boston area about food insecurity.

From that first Mother's Day until now, I've made it a priority to help women live with dignity and opportunity by supporting Women's Lunch Place."

-- Mary Jacobs, WLP Supporter

To all who contributed to the campaign in 2026, this is the legacy of care that continues because of you. Thank you!

Meredith from the Highland Street Foundation stopped by Women’s Lunch Place with a special Mother’s Day delivery for our guests! 🍪🍪🍪

Thanks to their generous support in memory of founding Trustee JoAnn McGrath, our community will enjoy a celebratory meal and delicious cookies from a local bakery—small gestures that will bring joy, care, and brightness to their day.

We’re so grateful for partners like Highland Street Foundation who help make our guests feel seen and celebrated.

Thank you!

Two years ago, something powerful began in our daytime shelter community.

It’s still going strong.

We’re celebrating the two-year anniversary of our Empowerment Group—a space where women come together to share their stories, confront trauma, and begin to heal.

This group packs our classroom, twice a week, every week.

Led by Teresa Rolley (pictured here)—who brings both lived experience and deep expertise—the group creates a space built on trust, honesty, and mutual support.

Here, women don’t just receive care. They build it together.

Through this work, women are finding their way to addiction recovery, strengthening relationships, and improving their mental health. But more than that, they’re finding their voices.

To mark this milestone, dozens of participants stood up in our community dining room and shared what the group has meant to them. They spoke to one another—not as strangers, but as a community.

One participant, Evelyn, put her thoughts into a jubilant poem. Here's an excerpt:

The Empowerment Group is what we are.
Two years in, we’ve come this far!
We come in as pieces, now we stand whole.
Two years of pressure refined every soul.
We faced what we couldn’t, turned pain into power,
Grew through the struggle, hour by hour.
We held one another when we almost fell.
That is the reason we rise and excel.

This is what you make possible.

Because of you, more women will walk through our doors and find not just support—but belonging.

Thank you for being in our corner.

What a lovely surprise to have our Co-Founder Dr. Eileen Reilly and longtime supporter Dr. Jim O’Connell drop by this morning! They brought a few coworkers and collaborators to see our daytime shelter in action 💚💛

A photo 📸 finish for Team WLP!!!

THANK YOU to our incredible runners for going the distance (to the tune of nearly $65K in funds raised) to help women in need 💚💛

We couldn’t ask for a more talented group of women to represent Women’s Lunch Place on the world’s biggest marathon stage. Thank you to the seemingly infinite supporters who cheered alongside us on Monday, and to the hundreds of people who supported our runners’ campaigns. We are endlessly grateful for your kindness and generosity.