It’s the fourth day of my 12 Days of Charitable Giving for 2017. Readers have suggested deserving charities over the past few weeks, and I’ll be posting one a day for – well, 12 days (I’m clever that way). Today’s charity is Women’s Lunch Place.
Women’s Lunch Place began in 1982 after Eileen Reilly and Jane Alexander witnessed a critical lack of services for women. Reilly and Alexander were volunteers at an overnight shelter for men and noticed that homeless women would dress as men to get a meal and a bed. Reilly and Alexander decided that there should be an alternative space for poor and homeless women and their children.
Eventually, Reilly and Alexander found a space at the Church of the Covenant in Boston. Their first order of business: serving a proper lunch. Reilly and Alexander insisted that guests would be served lunch at their tables, and not made to stand in line. They also put tablecloths, china plates, and silverware on tables adorned with fresh flowers, a practice that remains to this day.
In 1985, operations expanded to include more lunches – and serving breakfast. In 1995, the organization grew again, this time offering advocacy services. And in 2011, a major renovation produced a more beautiful, welcoming space to meet the growing demand for services.
Today, the dining room is open from 7:00 am – 2:00 pm Monday through Saturday. Hot coffee, tea, and toast are offered throughout the day, with a breakfast buffet from 8 am until 10 am; lunch is served restaurant-style (no lines!) at noon, and counter service is available from 12:30 – 2:00 pm. Last year, Women’s Lunch Place prepared and served 85,575 meals to over 1,300 individual women.
Medical care is provided through a partnership with Health Care Without Walls: Nurses and doctors offer free on-site health care services for urgent and chronic health conditions. Additionally, a psychiatrist and psychologist offer counseling, and community health centers and agencies present informational workshops. Women’s Lunch Place also trains and partners with LGBTQ groups to educate and offer services to a diverse community of women. And skilled advocates provide assistance in finding housing, benefits, employment, and other opportunities.
Women in need are also provided with basic necessities, hot showers, laundry, and a bed to rest on in a safe nap room. A resource center and library are available, providing access to computers, internet, and phones, as well as office supplies – all important for job and housing searches. And Women’s Lunch Place provides personal care items such as sunscreen; water bottles; lotion; sanitary napkins and tampons; soap and shampoo; and toothpaste and toothbrushes, as well as emergency seasonal clothing like new winter coats, hats, gloves, and scarves.
The mission of Women’s Lunch Place is to meet the needs of poor and homeless women with dignity.
So how can you help?
To make a one-time or recurring donation by credit card, head over to the organization’s donor page on its website. To make a credit card donation over the phone, call Lorraine Levine at 617.449.7190.
Women’s Lunch Place asks that to maximize your gift, especially in amounts over $5,000, consider making your gift by check. You can make checks payable to Women’s Lunch Place and mail to:
Women’s Lunch Place
67 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02116
The organization also welcomes new, in-kind gifts. Items they need all year long include:
• Soap
• Shampoo (travel size)
• Conditioner (travel size)
• Lotion
• Lip balm
• Hand & foot warmers
• Hairbrushes
• Day planners
• Flash drives
• Notebooks
• Earbuds
• Charging cords
A longer list of needed items is available here.
You can drop off or ship in-kind donations to Shelter Manager, Women’s Lunch Place, 67 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116. Please call (617.449.7200) for drop-off hours, seasonal-specific requests, or if you have a large donation.
If you itemize your deductions, donations of in-kind items to qualifying charitable organizations are deductible. However, if you donate property other than cash, the value of the donation is typically the fair market value of the property. Fair market value is generally the price that a willing buyer would pay for the property. If you’re picking up items at the store to donate (remember, Women’s Lunch Place asks for new donations), that would typically be the place you paid for the items. Keep excellent receipts.
If you donate inventory items, the amount of your donation is the fair market value, minus any gain you would have realized if you had sold the item at its fair market value on the date of the gift. It’s a good idea to check with your tax professional to coordinate valuation and documentation if you plan to donate inventory items.
As always, you want to make sure that your donation is going to a qualified charitable organization. A search using the IRS’ Exempt Organizations Select Check reveals that Women’s Lunch Place is on the list.
To find out more about the work of the organization, check out their website, like them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter and Instagram.
I often suggest checking out third-party sites like Charity Navigator for more information about charitable organizations, including evaluations and access to tax forms and other financials. Women’s Lunch Place has a four-star ranking by Charity Navigator.
Remember: submissions to the 12 Days of Charitable Giving are made by readers, and in most cases, I can’t personally vouch for the good work that these folks do. So be generous but be smart: Do your homework.
For more on making charitable donations, check out this prior post.
