Thank you for making our 10th anniversary celebration, “Takin’ It To The Streets” such an incredible success! In one evening, you helped us raise more than $40,000 that will do a world of good for homeless women in Boston. We were joined by First Lady Diane Patrick, and we honored Kip Tiernan, founder of Rosie’s Place, and Mary Smalarz, a nursing professor who is the mainstay of clinical care at Rosie’s Place. Special thanks to our event committee, to our raffle prize donors and to our corporate and foundation sponsors:
• The James W. and Patricia C. Poitras Fund for the Foundation for MetroWest • Old Mutual Asset Management • Bank of America • PNC Wealth Management • Rockland Charitable Foundation
Clinician’s Corner:
Aging in Shelters Collaborative Goes the Extra Mile
“It keeps me up some nights,” says Babs Vitale, a case management nurse for Health Care Without Walls. “I’ve worked with homeless populations for more than 15 years, but the things I’ve learned at HCWW have opened my eyes.”
Vitale helps to manage the Aging in Shelters Collaborative, a multi-agency program designed to ensure safe, secure housing and continuity of care for homeless and marginally housed women aged 55 or older, who are falling though the health care and housing safety nets.
In this role, she is charged not only with treating the physical symptoms of her patients, but also with helping them to overcome any and all obstacles to good health. The Collaborative program provides transportation to medical appointments, helps to interpret information from physicians and navigates the often complex paperwork required to gain access to public benefits that their clients are entitled to.
In “Mary’s” case, she had qualified for a Section 8 housing voucher, but had no way to find an apartment on her own.
“She’d been hospitalized for a while and she didn’t have a phone, so she couldn’t call landlords and make an appointment. And she’s elderly and can’t walk long distances,” remembers Vitale, who began doing some of the legwork on Mary’s case. She has applied for an extension on the Section 8 voucher, and is working with HEARTH, a partner agency, to help find potential apartments.
“I love that Health Care Without Walls gives me the autonomy to go the extra mile. We don’t just provide referrals. We’re empowered to determine what the obstacles are, and find a way around them. “
Your generous donations make it possible for Health Care Without Walls to go the extra mile, find solutions and heal our patients. Thank you for your support!
CVS Cares for Women with $25,000 Caremark Grant
With 24-hour stores and on-site clinics, CVS make accessing healthcare easier for all of us. But did you know that CVS is also a lifesaver for homeless women? In May, the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, the private foundation created by CVS, awarded Health Care Without Walls a $25,000 grant to help us increase our services. This funding will help to support the Aging in Shelters Collaborative, a multi-agency program that focuses on the needs of homeless women over age 55.
Vote for Dr. Means on CNN!
Dr. Means is in the running to be one of CNN’s “Top Ten Heroes” of 2011—an honor that comes with a $25,000 donation to the organization. You can help! View the brief, heartwarming video, and “Recommend” this story to your Facebook page, and ask your friends to do the same. You’ll see the impact of work and meet one of our elderly clients who just got her own apartment—with a little help from Health Care Without Walls. Help us to place in the top ten with just a click! Vote for Dr. Means on CNN!
An Investment with Heart—But No Taxes
Age can be a wonderful thing—it brings wisdom, and also some great tax advantages! If you are 70 ½ or older, you can contribute up to $100,000 to Health Care Without Walls directly from your IRA in 2011, and pay no taxes on this distribution. In the near future we plan on expanding options available to donors to support Health Care Without Walls, such as planned giving – please check our website shortly for details! Please call our office at 781.239.0290 for more information.
Dr. Means Receives Courage Award
The Greater Boston Section of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) recently awarded Dr. Roseanna Means with a Woman of Courage and Conviction Award.
“It’s a huge honor; it’s an unexpected honor,” said Dr. Means. “It’s a little daunting because I can identify myself with the conviction part, but the courage part — the lessons in courage that I’ve had in my life have come from the women that I’ve served.” The award is the highest honor that the NCNW gives out.
Runners Go the Distance for Our Women
Four courageous Boston Marathon runners raised more than $18,000 for Health Care Without Walls! Our runners were:
• Josh Gleason of Dover • Dr. Kim D’Eramo of Wellesley • Leigh Drori of Newton • Ian Sanders Fleming of Boston
Special thanks to John Hancock who provided four Boston Marathon bibs as part of their 2011 Non-Profit Marathon Program, and to Old Mutual, who sponsored Josh Gleason.
Health Care Without Walls depends upon the generosity of our friends to provide the medical supplies with which our volunteer medical staff treats 2,500 women and children annually. Won't you please help?
Health Care Without Walls volunteers include some of the best doctors and nurses in the Boston area, as well as numerous lay volunteers who assist in fund-raising, administration and other roles. Call or email our office to find out how you can make a difference!
About Us
While working with a health clinic serving the homeless between 1990 and 1998, Dr. Roseanna Means observed that homeless women were under-represented. Upon investigation, Dr. Means discovered that traditional clinic processes overwhelm women impaired by exhaustion, mental illness and, most significantly, fear. Dr. Means founded Health Care Without Walls, an innovative new health care model, in 1999. Today, a team of over 20 volunteer and paid medical professionals bring care into the shelters where the women feel safest.
About Us
