In a way, George has come full circle. While he lived in Somerville for 40 years, George was born in Jamaica Plain, where he now resides in one of Pine Street’s residences. George worked hard all of his life as a maintenance person for the Somerville Parks and Recreation and later in construction. “I became…
“You will rise again,” Jon shares, reading from one of his poems. “Strength isn’t always about moving mountains. Sometimes it’s just deciding to start again.” Living with muscular dystrophy, Jon has long defied the odds. “Doctors said I would be in a wheelchair by now, but I’m still bouncing around,” he shares. That determination has…
Victoria owned a business and a home for many years. When she met her husband, she decided to give up both her business and home to marry him. Unfortunately, the relationship soon soured, and Victoria’s husband became physically abusive. “It was a frightening situation, and I knew I had to leave,” Victoria says. “I was…
Ana, 63, grew up in Boston. She lives with a disability that has made living on her own challenging; however, she has worked to overcome those obstacles and remain independent. “I had rented a room and lived with my dog in Dorchester for many years,” Ana says. “Eventually I got priced out. I tried to…
“I grew up in a loving home in New Jersey with my two brothers,” reminisces Joyce, 70, a tenant at one of Pine Street Inn’s residences in Dorchester. Nearly 50 years ago, Joyce moved to Boston to study elementary education at Northeastern University. With few teaching jobs available, she found herself working in a restaurant…
“My life was going well — I had a job, a wife and kids,” says Rodney. “Then I got divorced and everything changed.” Rodney’s divorce took a heavy toll on his mental health. “It affected my work, and eventually, I lost my job,” he shares. Without an income, Rodney then lost his apartment and ended…
A familiar face to many at Pine Street, Lauren Schmidt is program manager for the workforce development team. Lauren first served as Pine Street’s senior manager of volunteer programs from 2018 to 2021, following her time in the Peace Corps and at a New York City nonprofit focused on HIV prevention and housing. Pine Street’s…
For a long time, Shawn did not know what the next day would bring — bouncing between shelters and the streets. When Pine Street Inn’s outreach team connected with him, he discovered something he had always longed for — a place to call home. Shawn grew up in Boston and found a job at a…
Emily Ahman-Gamble, a supervisor on the housing clinical services team, joined Pine Street in 2022. Emily spent much of her childhood in New England and Maryland before returning to Boston to complete a Master of Social Work degree at Simmons University. Inspired by her mother, a longtime social worker, Emily felt a natural pull toward…
As a high school ice hockey standout, Richard planned to attend college at the University of Vermont to play hockey. Richard’s plans changed during his senior year of high school when he suffered both a back injury and a traumatic brain injury during a game, putting an end to his dream. Richard’s doctor prescribed an…
“Pine Street Inn never turned their back on me.” That support gave Anthony the strength to rebuild his life. Growing up in Roxbury, Anthony took on the immense responsibility of fatherhood at just 15 years old. Determined to support his family, he found work wherever he could, including restaurants and odd jobs. “It was a…
Marla Doane, Pine Street Inn’s regional director of housing support services, has been an integral part of the organization’s growth. With nearly 36 years of dedication to ending homelessness, Marla has managed housing locations in Jamaica Plain, Brookline, and several others, helping to shape Pine Street’s transformative housing initiatives. “I first heard about Pine Street…
