Long before Ariella Amshalem joined Pine Street Inn as a culinary instructor, the organization was already part of her life. “I remember learning about Pine Street through school,” she shares. “I even had one of their pins that was shaped like a house and kept it on my dresser my whole childhood.” Before Pine Street,…
Bunni’s name comes from love. Adopted as a baby, Bunni later learned his birth mother’s name was Bonnie. “She died young from ovarian cancer,” he says. “I started to call myself Bunni as a way to remember her.” Though his name sounds gentle, Bunni’s childhood was not. Growing up in Ohio, responsibility came early. “My…
Born in Boston, Michael spent most of his childhood in Virginia with his five brothers and two sisters. “My mom is from the South, and we moved to Viriginia when we were young,” Michael shares. Michael worked alongside his brother at a car dealership, and when the business moved to Florida, Michael followed. “In Virginia,…
Katrina grew up the youngest of four children in a close-knit family. “They saved the best for last,” she laughs. Cooking was woven into her earliest memories, with her father being a chef. “His love of cooking always stuck with me.” After high school, Katrina pursued culinary training and spent more than a decade working…
“I did what I had to do to get back on my feet,” shares Roxi, reflecting on her journey out of homelessness. “Living on the street was terrifying,” she says. Still, she refused to let it define her. Roxi first moved to Boston when she was 22 to be closer to family. She began working…
“I never thought I would experience homelessness,” says Darrell. “Now I understand how easily it can happen to anyone.” A lifelong Boston resident, Darrell earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and went on to work as a pest control supervisor for many years. Life took an unexpected turn when he suffered a stroke that…
For Christian Petit-Frere, supporting someone through one of the hardest chapters of their life begins with something simple: helping them feel seen. “I want tenants to know that I hear them and see them,” Christian says. As a case manager at The Lyndia, Pine Street Inn’s largest residence in Jamaica Plain, Christian helps tenants build…
When Paul first met Emma from Pine Street Inn’s veterans street outreach team, he wasn’t sure what to expect. “She told me she could help,” he remembers. “And she did.” Paul grew up outside of Boston in a big family. After high school, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps with a friend. “I served for…
Bill has always found peace outdoors. “Fishing is my therapy,” he says. “Even when I was younger, that’s where I felt calm.” Raised in a close-knit family, Bill followed his uncle’s advice to join the National Guard. “I found my community there,” he smiles. “I served 20 years and loved every minute — those were…
Ali worked in the housekeeping and maintenance industry for 15 years, building a life for himself. At the same time, he struggled with depression and alcoholism that escalated over the years, eventually resulting in homelessness. “I came to Boston in 1997 after a war in my home country,” Ali says. “During the war, I lost…
SK Keating, an Employment and Stabilization Specialist at Pine Street, works to connect job training program trainees with employment and job readiness skills. Leading up to this year’s Workforce Development Graduation, he reflected on his work with graduate speaker, Durell “Durell is a person who exudes a sense of quiet resilience and resolution,” says SK….
When Osborne reflects on his journey, three things stand out: family, faith and support from Pine Street Inn. Osborne was raised in a religious household in Boston with his grandmother, four brothers and extended family. “Faith has been a big part of my life,” Osborne shares. “It keeps me going during tough times.” His faith…
