Introducing our new Grant Writer

We are thrilled to introduce Circle of Hope's new Grant Writer, Leslie Levenson!

In addition to extensive grant writing success, Leslie brings twenty years of experience in nonprofit management to our team. In 2009, she founded the north shore organization Community Giving Tree. Her career has included leadership on numerous nonprofit boards, nonprofit consulting, and volunteer program development. Leslie enjoys traveling the world with her family and relaxing in Maine. 

Leslie is taking the grant writing baton from Christine Ruddy, who is transitioning fully into her role as Circle of Hope's Community Engagement Specialist. Leslie will build on Circle of Hope's grant success, helping us continue to grow as an organization and deepen our support for families and individuals experiencing homelessness in Boston and MetroWest.

Welcome to the team, Leslie!

Executive Search Update

The search for Circle of Hope's new Executive Director is underway. Executive search consultants from Third Sector New England (TSNE) have begun reviewing applications and speaking with qualified candidates. Circle of Hope's full search committee, which includes members of the Board of Directors and staff, will begin interviewing candidates next month. TSNE will continue accepting applications on a rolling basis throughout the hiring process, so please share the job opening with anyone who may be interested in this exciting position!

Celebrating Our Amazing Volunteers This National Volunteer Week

This National Volunteer Week (and always!), we are celebrating our amazing team of Circle of Hope volunteers!

By sorting, packaging, delivering, and picking up donations for Circle of Hope, our volunteers have helped tens of thousands of people experiencing homelessness stay warm, healthy, and safe over the past 15 years. Their dedication, compassion, and commitment fuel Circle of Hope's mission and inspire us every day. 

To celebrate National Volunteer Week, our staff recorded words of gratitude for all of our volunteers:

New Go-To Crew Request: Newborn Essentials and Women's Clothing Urgently Needed

Newborns and postpartum moms experiencing homelessness need your help this week! Two women at one of Circle of Hope's partner day programs recently gave birth and need clothing and essentials for themselves and their newborns. 

Please help these new moms and babies stay healthy and safe this spring by donating infant clothing (0-6 months), women's seasonal clothing (S-XL), and Welcome Baby Bags to Circle of Hope.

Purchase these items from our Amazon Wish List or your preferred online retailer. Ship your donations to Circle of Hope at 1329 Highland Ave, Needham, MA 02492 or schedule your appointment to drop them off in person next week! Our delivery to these families will go out on Thursday.

Items Needed:

  • Infant clothing (0-6 months)

  • Women's clothing (S-XL)

  • Fully assembled Welcome Baby Bags

Click here to learn how to assemble a Welcome Baby Bag.

Thank you very much for your support!

Circle of Hope Founder, Executive Director Barbara Waterhouse Announces Retirement in June 2023

Dear Friends,

It is with a profoundly grateful heart that I announce my retirement as Circle of Hope’s Executive Director at the end of this June.

As the founder, I know Circle of Hope is ready to launch this next chapter with a new Executive Director joining our talented, passionate, and dedicated team. With the help of this incredible community of generous supporters like you, Circle of Hope will continue its vital service helping thousands of our neighbors experiencing homelessness every year. 

In 2008, I founded Circle of Hope when homelessness was increasing dramatically. My phone rang with frantic calls from a family shelter in Dorchester looking for baby clothes and winter coats for children and their moms. I didn’t have what they needed and believed mobilizing our community was a way forward. I never dreamed 15 years later, Circle of Hope would be answering calls for help from 25 partner shelters, clinics, and neighborhood programs. I’m proud of this highly impactful nonprofit that serves thousands of infants, children, and adults experiencing homelessness every year in Boston, Cambridge, and MetroWest. 

In collaboration with executive search consultants from Third Sector New England (TSNE), the Board of Directors is working closely with staff and other stakeholders to hire a new Executive Director. I am grateful for the search committee’s dedication and know Circle of Hope’s new Executive Director will be a strong leader capable of furthering our humanitarian mission. 

While I am stepping away from my position on the Circle of Hope staff, I’m not going far! I look forward to transitioning into a new role on Circle of Hope’s Advisory Council. I’m so excited to spend more time with my family and hope to be cross-country skiing, biking, and doing things reminiscent of summer camp. 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support over these past fifteen years. Please stay tuned for news and updates!

With my deepest gratitude,

Barbara Waterhouse

February 2023 News from Circle of Hope

Since January, our team has answered a record-breaking number of emergency requests. We answered an urgent call from Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program within 4 hours, sending winter coats, fleece layers, hats, and gloves to protect 150 patients from the arctic air blast in Boston’s cold emergency. Read more February 2023 news from Circle of Hope.

We're Hiring!

We are hiring a part-time Grant Writer to support Circle of Hope's continued growth! Interested in joining our team? Apply by sending your resume to Carolyn Conley-Das at Carolyn@CircleOfHopeOnline.org.

Job Description

Position: Nonprofit Grant Writer - Half Time

About Circle of Hope:

Circle of Hope is a woman-led nonprofit organization based in Needham, Massachusetts. The mission of Circle of Hope is to provide children and adults experiencing homelessness in Boston and MetroWest with clothing and necessities in order to protect health and personal dignity. Circle of Hope has strategically partnered with 25 homeless shelters, healthcare clinics, schools, and community programs to provide clothing and necessities to thousands of people experiencing homelessness each year, including infants, children, college students, members of the LGBTQ community, older adults, and survivors of domestic violence.

About the role:

Reporting to and in partnership with the Executive Director (ED), the Grant Writer will conduct research on corporate, foundation, and government funding sources, prepare and submit successful grant proposals, give presentations to grant committees, and steward positive relationships with funders. A successful Grant Writer will have excellent written communication skills and attention to detail, previous grant writing experience, and a record of successful grant fundraising in the nonprofit sector. The Grant Writer must be deadline-oriented and comfortable working independently and collaboratively with a team. This is a 20 hour/week position.

Responsibilities:

  1. Study and understand the history, structure, objectives, programs, and financial needs of Circle of Hope; participate in weekly team meetings to stay up to date on operations and financial needs.

  2. Research grant opportunities from non-government and government agencies.

  3. Draft, edit, and submit grant proposals, grant budgets, and supporting documents.

  4. Respond to internal and external inquiries on drafted and submitted proposals, giving presentations to grant committees as needed.

  5. Maintain positive relationships with fund providers and other stakeholders.

  6. Meet funder deadlines, maintain records, and submit impact reports related to grants received.

  7. Participate in regular meetings with ED, Board members, and staff to plan and budget grant spending.

Experience:
The ideal candidate will have 3-5 years of experience in grant writing for a nonprofit organization with demonstrated success in increasing grant funding.

Compensation and Benefits:

$30 per hour.

Family-friendly work environment with flexible schedule and location of work (some requirement for in-person presence at Needham headquarters).

One more thing!

Research shows that men tend to apply to jobs when they meet 60% of the criteria, but women and other marginalized groups only apply when they meet 100% of the job requirements. If you think you would be a good fit for this role but don’t necessarily meet every requirement, please apply anyway! We’d love to speak with you.

Circle of Hope's Emergency Response to Life-Threatening Temperatures

Mayor Michelle Wu declared a “cold emergency” for Boston from Friday, February 3 through Saturday, February 4. The wind chill this weekend is predicted to drop as low as -27 degrees Fahrenheit. These frigid temperatures put everyone at risk, but can be especially life-threatening for people experiencing homelessness.

Late in the afternoon on Thursday, February 2, Circle of Hope received an urgent call for coats from Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP). They were very worried about their patients as the coldest days approached.

The Circle of Hope team had left for the day, but knowing the urgency of this request, Director of Operations Jody Barnet jumped into her car and drove directly back to Circle of Hope with her daughter. Together, the two filled bags with 150 brand new winter coats, hats, thermals, gloves, and blankets. Shortly after, BHCHP Director of Development Linda O’Connor picked up the winter essentials and immediately begin giving them to patients in deepest need. Linda wrote:

“I can’t thank you and the COH team enough for coming to our rescue tonight! You won’t believe this, but when I saw the big beautiful bags near the back door with the “light on” just waiting to be picked up, I got choked up. For you and the volunteers to pull this amazing donation together means the world to us, and especially to our patients.”

Circle of Hope responds to all emergency requests within 24-48 hours, but this was our fastest yet, taking just a few hours. We were prepared to spring into action to respond to this crisis because of our generous and compassionate donors. We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the companies, community groups, families, and individuals who have donated warm coats and accessories this winter. Your generosity is protecting the lives of more than 150 our most vulnerable neighbors experiencing homelessness during these extreme temperatures.

Homelessness and Maternal Health

Pregnant woman in green shirt and black jacket receiving new clothing donations from Circle of Hope

January 23 is Maternal Health Awareness Day.

Homelessness has a significant impact on maternal health, which refers to the physical and mental health of mothers during and immediately after pregnancy. Women experiencing homelessness are more likely to have complications during pregnancy and birth than stably housed women. (1) Major stressors like homelessness also increase the risk of Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Anxiety. (2) Moreover, babies born to mothers experiencing homelessness are more likely to be born early and have lower birth weights.

Despite having more complications, women experiencing homelessness attend fewer prenatal appointments than stably housed women. (3) Lack of transportation, lack of childcare, and irregular insurance coverage are just a few of the healthcare barriers women experiencing homelessness face. Distrust of healthcare providers - particularly for women of color who have experienced racism in the healthcare system - is another. (4)

Circle of Hope strategically partners with hospitals and clinics that improve access to prenatal and postpartum healthcare for women experiencing homelessness by providing treatment in various locations, including shelters. Through these partnerships, Circle of Hope provides pregnant and postpartum moms experiencing homelessness with clothing, hygiene essentials, and personal care items to support their recovery and overall health. We also give them infant essentials like clothing, diaper cream, wipes, and baby wash, so they have everything they need to confidently care for their newborns. By providing brand new porta-cribs, Circle of Hope gives infants a safe place to sleep in shelter and improves maternal mental health by enabling moms to get some sleep as well.

In the past year, Circle of Hope has received more urgent requests to help pregnant and postpartum moms and newborns than ever before. Your donations of maternity clothing, infant clothing, Welcome Baby Bags, and New Mom Kits directly support the mental and physical health of moms and babies experiencing homelessness and facilitate vital bonding and attachment in the vulnerable early months. Please visit our How to Help page for more information on how you can support families experiencing homelessness.

 

Sources:

  1. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019

  2. Mayo Clinic, 2022

  3. Housing Matters, 2019

  4. BMJ Quality & Safety, 2022

Circle of Hope | 1329 Highland Ave. Suite 3, Needham, MA 02492

progress pride flag.jpg