This winter, the MCB Holiday Gift Drive collected gifts and supplies for Rosie’s Place, the oldest women’s shelter in the country. The entire MCB community pitched in and donated 333 items, including winter boots, toiletries, scarves, and gloves.
“We are so grateful for your donations to the Holiday Drive for Rosie’s Place,” says Michael Oliver, the director of fundraising at Rosie’s Place. “Your help is being put to work as I type, as guests come over to the Holiday Store to pick out presents for themselves.”
He adds, “It may seem like a small gesture, but to give our guests the freedom of choice is special because choice is one of the first things you lose when you are poor or homeless. By contributing gifts to the Holiday Store, you are giving women more than a present. You’re helping them to reclaim their self-determination and dignity.”
When Rosie’s Place was founded in 1974, many homeless shelters only served men. Founder Kip Tiernan saw homeless women attempting to disguise themselves as men just to gain access to shelter and decided that things needed to change. Today, Rosie’s Place provides meals, overnight housing, and education opportunities to homeless women.
Thank you to everyone who donated to the Holiday Gift Drive! The supplies donated will go directly to women in need.
by Diana Crow
