Spring 2010 Edition of InnSights 

Putting the pieces together

Allison was referred to the Homeless Women's Center by a shelter case manager. After working with Allison for some time I assisted her in enrolling in a local job training program. The job training program provided her with computer training, work readiness, basic remedial education, and job placement services in a 17-week program. Recently, Allison was invited to use her new skills as a part-time secretary in an office downtown. Right away she loved her new job, but to her dismay the salary was not enough to support her living outside of the shelter. Over time, Allison and I worked together to secure her stable, long-term, affordable housing for her and her daughter.

Allison now has her own two bedroom apartment with her daughter; she still has her part time job and is soon to be promoted to a full time position with her company."I have always been strong, motivated, and committed," Allison says, "but The Homeless Women Center helped me put these pieces together in a way that made sense for me and my family. I will use these lessons." Allison's long term goal is to become a paralegal, and perhaps mentor other young women who face the same challenges that she has faced.

*Name changed to preserve privacy

Greetings From the Board President

It is a blessing to serve on the board of Mary Elizabeth Inn, to know that in some small way you are making a difference in the lives of women who for a variety of reasons are struggling to get on their feet and stay there - women who are living with disabilities, women who have been or are homeless and women who are survivors of domestic violence. For the women who live in the Inn on Bush Street or at the Verona on Leavenworth, Mary Elizabeth Inn is home, a sanctuary from the buzz of the city, a place where there are people who know you and care about you, a place where you receive the nurturing and support to spread your wings and soar.

But imagine you are home and you are hungry. Your small income barely covers the portion of the rent for which you are responsible. You have enough money to eat for the first half of the month, but after that you must hit the streets, stand in lines and eat wherever a meal program is offered. That's how it was a year ago for many of the women living at the Inn.

Last May, the Inn began offering breakfast and dinner five days a week at no additional expense to our clients. What a difference this has made in the lives of the women. Everything improves when you have enough food to eat every day. The future looks brighter. You can begin to dream and hope again. Your support continues to make this additional programming possible.

I cannot adequately express my appreciation for our donors and for all those who made our annual benefit such a wonderful success. From the board members and staff who met regularly and worked continuously to plan and hold this event, to the businesses, individuals and groups who supported the women we serve with donations, from the volunteers who worked the event to all those who chose to spend their evening with us and supported the work of Mary Elizabeth Inn with their gifts, I am thankful. Each of you was instrumental in making this event a success. We could not have done it without you.

We sometimes say that Mary Elizabeth Inn is the best kept secret in San Francisco. I hope that you will share our secret with everyone you meet - on Facebook and on the street. Come and visit us sometime. We will be happy to show you around. Just call to make an appointment in advance.

With heartfelt thanks,

Connie Hunter
President, Board of MEI

Preventing Hunger at MEI

With Lily’s leadership, the MEI meal program has flourished, introducing well balanced, healthy and fresh meals into the lives of our supportive housing and Homeless Women’s Center clients. This program allows us to serve over 35,000 warm and nutritious meals to low income women each year. This program is crucial to our service package in that eradiating hunger among our population is key to their ability to continue to work on their own personal economic and emotional stability.

When asked about the impact that the meal program is having on the women that we serve, Lilly stated; “I know that we are really helping our clients who do not have the money or ability to buy and prepare food on their own. So often a woman will come up to me and tell me that the breakfast I served her got her through her day, helped her with the energy that she needed to get through a job interview, or to carry on with her daily routine. Many of these women are coming from homelessness or a place where they didn’t get fed, this helps them go out and start their day.”

The MEI meal program is not only a way in which we can help to combat hunger among the population of women that we serve, it is also a crucial component to building a stable and supportive community for all of our clients.

According to a senior participant in our supportive housing program; “Good health and nutrition leads to happiness, it helps me get up and look forward to starting my day knowing that I can come down and have Lilly’s breakfast and coffee, I know lots of the ladies here rely on the breakfast and dinner to stay satisfied, it keeps people happy, it makes for a happy building, and a balanced group of women. I thought about looking for other housing but I know I couldn’t because I would not longer have this.”

The MEI meal program relies on the dedicated skills of a small kitchen staff and a committed group of volunteers. We partner with the San Francisco food bank in order to provide the quality and variety of food necessary to promote optimal nutrition for our program participants. The meal program is a testament to how large an impact you can have by providing for the most basic needs of an individual. For more information on how you can get involved with the MEI meal program click here. (link to volunteer page on the website)

GIVE!

This means that each dollar that you give to our annual fund-raising campaign directly funds our services that are making a significant impact on the lives of women in crises in San Francisco.

Your support allows us to safely house over 180 women each year within our supportive housing program, provide over 35,000 healthy warm meals to women in great need, and to provide life giving support to over 120 women who are currently on the streets.

Funding for the Mary Elizabeth Inn also comes from private foundations, corporations, the United Methodist Church, United Methodist Women's Groups, and City and State funding sources.

Donate Goods and Services

In-kind gifts are an important way that we can continue to provide ample supplies and services for our clients. We accept donations of services and products for our annual fundraising event, and donations of gently used furnishings and new personal care products for our programs. For more information on making an in-kind donation please call (415) 673-6768.

Below is a list of needed donations for our programs:

Wish List

MEI welcomes the following donations:
• Mini microwaves and refrigerators
• Gently used neutral colored living room furniture
• Lounge chairs/patio furniture
• New pillows, twin and double sheet sets
• Blinds, curtains and shades
• New women's socks and underwear
• New personal hygiene products (shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrushes, and soap)
• Gently used women's clothing
• Warm blankets

Mary Elizabeth Inn is a 501(c) 3, non-profit corporation; all gifts are tax deductible to the extent of the law. Tax ID# 94-1156282

About the Mary Elizabeth Inn

The Mary Elizabeth Inn (MEI), has a 96 year history of providing affordable housing and support services to a diverse population of low-income women recovering from homelessness, substance abuse, and domestic violence, as well as women with mental and physical disabilities.

It is the mission of the Mary Elizabeth Inn to end the cycle of poverty and homelessness for women in the Bay Area by providing low-income housing and support services. It is our vision that women across all life's stages are empowered to achieve self-sufficiency, independence, and security.

Each year MEI serves a diverse population of women in crises through our three primary programs - the supportive housing program, the meal program, and the Homeless Women's Center. Over half of the women that we serve are seniors and 90% of our clients have annual incomes that are at or far below the federal poverty level. Annually, MEI significantly impacts the lives of over 300 single women and women with children through our drop-in services at our Homeless Women's Center, through our free meal and pantry program, or by housing women directly from the streets of San Francisco.