Hundreds of people from Boston’s homeless community were treated to a warm, restaurant-style holiday meal Christmas Day at St. Francis House, and it was all made possible by a $25,000 donation from a family in Medfield.
The day shelter, the largest of its type in all of New England, hosted the annual celebration for what they estimated to be between 400 and 500 guests.
President and CEO of St. Francis House, Karen LaFrazia, says the large donation from the Medfield family not only funded the Christmas meal, but also another event and hundreds of gifts the night before.
“Today, we actually had a donor family that completely underwrote all of the costs of our entire Christmas dinner,” LaFrazia told the Herald. “Yesterday, we had a special event on Christmas Eve where we passed out Christmas presents for everybody, so everybody came through and they got their choice of a backpack and a choice of a sweatshirt and a gift card so they can spend on what they want and what they need. And it was completely underwritten by a generous family.
“They are our Christmas angel,” she added. “The mother in this family used to come here when she was in high school and she would volunteer. She’s in a fortunate place right now, her and her family, so they’re able to give back in a very meaningful way.”
But it appears that a notable amount of regular St. Francis House donors have been diving deeper into their pockets than ever before, according to VP of Philanthropy and External Relations Andrew Russell.
“Increasingly, this year, we have seen an enormous amount of our donors leaping in their giving. So, for example, this family from Medfield had been giving us $1,000 per year until this year, when they gave us a $25,000 donation. Donors who had been giving $5,000 per year have been giving $50,000 per year. So, it’s heartwarming to see,” Russell said.
The warm, festive environment offered guests what staff say is a “moment of dignity,” paired with a chance to escape from the daily burdens many have been experiencing in their day-to-day lives.
Jason Tench, who tells the Herald he’s been homeless for “a long time,” says he seeks services at St. Francis House because staff “really, truly care.”
“These people care a lot more [than most shelter services]. They come in every day and they appreciate us, which makes us appreciate them. It’s not just a job to them. They understand and they really, truly care. And it shows in the incredible work they do for us,” said Tench.
“It means a lot,” said Stephen Gonzalo, another homeless guest of St. Francis House. “I think this is where Jesus would want to be. It’s my first time here and luckily for me its on Christmas Day with this amazing meal and good people.”
Russell, the VP at St. Francis House, said the increase in donations — which allows St. Francis House to offer events like the Christmas meal — come as a blessing.
He says aside from special events, the extra cash is needed now more than ever, especially as the housing crisis paired with soaring utility costs in Massachusetts continues to make life unaffordable for residents.
“There’s more and more people that are coming in, whether it be seniors or young people that are on restricted incomes and if their rent goes up they can’t afford food or electricity, and people are forced to make difficult choices. So, the housing crisis definitely is playing a big part in the number of people we’re seeing on a daily basis,” Russell told the Herald. “We’re now up over 500 guests per day, every day. When you go back to 2023, we were seeing 7,000 people per year. The last two years we’ve been seeing 10,000 people per year.”
Homeless guest Arsenio Borges tells the Herald that he’s seen firsthand the help and support offered on a daily basis by St. Francis House, crediting the organization with helping him find housing for the first time in years.
“I think this is great. I live at the 112 Southampton Street shelter and this place has been incredible with how much they’ve helped me out. They actually just helped me get my Massachusetts ID so I can get housing finally. They’ve gotten clothing for me, shoes, socks, everything. So, they do help a lot,” said Borges.
As she enters her 19th year at St. Francis House, LaFrazia says the goal of the annual Christmas meal remains the same: to offer guests dignity, a warm meal and hope as they work to get through the challenges they face.
“I’ve been talking to our guests this morning and some of them have been reminiscing about Christmases past, when days were better for them and its bringing for them, a sadness,” said LaFrazia. “But, there’s also a little bit of joy for them to be here with friends and with staff that know they care about them and love them and us to give them a message of hope for the new year that things can and will get better.”
Want more insights? Join Working Title - our career elevating newsletter and get the future of work delivered weekly.
