Program areas at Boston Rescue Mission
Safe & healthy program: our year-roud emergency shelter beds and services people who are experiencing homelessness and don't have a safe place to sleep. Beginning in late afternoon, staff conduct and intake with each person to access their immediate needs and determine whether someone is under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs for their safety and wellbeing and for all other guests and staff. We provide two nourishing and healthy meals, access to clean bathrooms and shower facilities, access to a case manager for help with immediate needs, secure a bed at a detox or recovery program, or to begin the process of finding transitional or permanent housing. Our longtime partnership with health care for the homeless provides medical services at a nearby location.
Safe haven veterans program: for over ten years, we have successfully operated a 10-bed short-term transitional housing program for chronically homeless verterans struggling with substance use disorders, mental illness and other health issues in restored victorian in dorchester, ma. The program utilizes three evidence-based practices for care: motivational itnerviewing, critical time intervention, and stages of change. The goal is to prepare each veteran to effectively and safely transition to permanent housing. We provide three healthy meals, snack, counseling, and referrals to services at their request. Staff provides an environment that is conducive for each veteran to find hope, opportunity, and the determination to transform their life. The safe haven program closed on september 30, 2022.
Rapid re-housing program: case management services provide a thorough intake and counseling to help each person achieve their housing goals. Staff assist guests with housing searches, reunification with family and friends, one on one counseling, employment and other challenges to securing transitional or permanent housing.
Healthy meals programsshelter meals: brm relies on the generosity of dozens of food donors to help us prepare and serve over 38,000 healthy and hearty meals each year. Staff and volunteers serve three meals a day to our community residents and breakfasts and dinners to guests who stay in our safe & healthy.boston common outreach: on saturday mornings, a volunteer and staff group spend time on the Boston common and provide food, coffee, water and fellowship. The goal of this outreach is to connect with others and share a meal and resources for those experiencing hunger and homelessness.food pantry: our pantry provides food basics such as rice, beans, pasta, meats, vegetables, cereals, and other packaged food to our neighbors in need. Every other wednesday morning, we distribute critical food supplies to help sustain and feed neighborhood families.sober living communitybrm's supportive shelter community provides professional and peer support in a safe sober environment for our guests. Our downtown crossing location offers access to public transportation, a wide range of employment opportunities, access to recovery treatment, transitional and permanent housing, and other valuable resources.job readinesswe provide job training and work opportunities to these community members to prepare them to join or rejoin the workforce. We teach, develop, and reinforce the works skills, coping abilities, positive attitudes and self-confidence that are necessary to successfully apply for a job, accept an offer, and to maintain employment.private funding and efficiencyadditionally, the organization relies on a greater proportion of individual private donors for the majority of its total revenue. This reliance on individual donors and not governmental tax generated funds causes the organization to incur mailing and tracking costs, making the development expenses higher than organizations supported by a greater percentage of public funding. The organization believes in a healthy balance of both individual donations and public grants so it can best meet the goals of the organization and provide better care for the people it serves. A core strategy of the organization is to employ salaried professionals for administrative program management functions and to augment the professional staff with a large number of volunteers to carry out the support functions of the organization's ministries. The result of this strategy can be seen in note 1(1) to the consolidated financial statements. Including the in-kind value of volunteers would dramatically change the percentage of expense allocated to the organization program services in a positive way. For the year ended june 30, 2023, private funding and efficiency expenses are included in fundraising on the consolidated statement of functional expenses.