About Circle of Hope

Meet the STAFF | BOARD of Directors | 2023 Annual report

MISSION

The mission of Circle of Hope is to provide infants, children, and adults experiencing homelessness with clothing and hygiene essentials in order to preserve and enhance overall health and personal dignity. Founded in 2008, Circle of Hope has provided more than $8 million worth of clothing and necessities to people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity over the past 16 years. We make monthly deliveries of clothing, coats, shoes, bedding, and hygiene essentials to 28 partner shelters, healthcare clinics, schools, universities, and community programs. We also make additional emergency deliveries as needed, providing the exact items needed by families facing immediate crises like house fires and domestic violence.

History

A black and white photo of four women with arms around each other standing in an office

2008

Circle of Hope was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on October 2, 2008. At the time, we had three partner shelters in downtown Boston.

Two women, one with a baby in her lap, sit facing each other in a medical office

2009

By 2009, Circle of Hope was delivering clothing to seven partner shelters, clinics, and programs including Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) and Project Hope Family Shelter.

A man in a red shirt is standing in a room with white walls holding numerous winter coats in front of him

2012

By 2012, Circle of Hope had already given $1 million worth of clothing and necessities to people experiencing homelessness.

A woman with blond hair and a brown jacket stands in front of an open car trunk with many brown paper bags of clothing in it. There is snow in the background.

2013

A Volunteer Coordinator position was created, allowing Circle of Hope to engage more volunteers, open for additional hours throughout the week, and bring in more donations from the community.

Two men in sweatshirts stand in front of the open Circle of Hope van and a beige building (Southampton Street Shelter).

2014

Circle of Hope began serving six new partner shelters and programs, including Fenway Health and Southampton Street Shelter.

In October 2014, the Long Island bridge closed, suddenly displacing 700 women and men who sought refuge at Long Island Shelter. Circle of Hope immediately implemented an action plan to determine where the residents went next to find resources and continued providing them with warm clothing and necessities.

2015

In 2015, there were nearly 6,500 homeless individuals in Boston and 464 in Cambridge. The fastest-growing homeless population was children under five years old.

In order to accept and deliver more donations, Circle of Hope expanded its donation drop-off hours and procured a delivery van. The Dignity Project was created to provide toiletries and socks to adults experiencing homelessness, helping them stay clean and healthy. In just one year, Circle of Hope provided 650 “Dignity Bags” full of these essential items.

A woman wearing black glasses and a red sweater stands against a tan wall holding two white bags full of donated toiletries.

2016

Circle of Hope began expanding into MetroWest to address the growing rate of family homelessness in Greater Boston by partnering with Clinton House Family Shelter, operated by South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC).

The Emergency Response Program was created in 2016, allowing Circle of Hope to provide clothing to individuals and families who suddenly become homeless as a result of house fires, domestic violence, or other crises. Circle of Hope also doubled its staff, welcoming an Administrative Associate and Communications Manager to the team.

Two women standing in front of a brown table with clear plastic bags of donated clothing.

2018

By 2018, Circle of Hope had provided more than $4 million worth of clothing and necessities to children and adults experiencing homelessness in Boston and Metro West.

Three women in masks stand outside Circle of Hope surrounded by bags of clothing donations. Between them is a pull-up banner with the words "Emergency Response Program."

2019

Circle of Hope moved to a new location on Highland Avenue with double the operational space so we could continue growing and meeting the increasing need for clothing and hygiene essentials.

We also launched the Get Set program in 2019, partnering with Framingham State University to serve college students experiencing homelessness.

Two women in masks stand inside Circle of Hope behind a table full of many hygiene products like deodorant, toothpaste, and pads.

2020

When the COVID-19 pandemic erupted in Massachusetts, Circle of Hope immediately pivoted toward disease prevention, transforming operations to keep all staff, volunteers, donors, and shelter residents safe. In addition to brand new clothing, we began providing thousands of new masks and fully-assembled “COVID Kits” full of essentials for disease prevention.

A man and two women in cocktail attire stand inside a white tent with clear plastic windows.

2023

Founder Barbara Waterhouse retired from her position and we welcomed a new Executive Director, Ari Barbanell, to lead the COH team.

By the end of 2023, Circle of Hope had provided more than $8 million worth of donations to tens of thousands of families and individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity in Boston, Cambridge, and MetroWest.

““At Circle of Hope, we hold out hope for those who might not have a lot of hope for themselves right now.”

-Barbara Waterhouse, Circle of Hope Founder”

Non-Discrimination Policy

Circle of Hope does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.