A Private Shelter, A Safe New Start

When Susana, a single mother of five—Marc (5), Sam (8), Izzie (12), Lauren (14) and Sean (17)—arrived at The Annex, FamilyAid’s privately funded shelter, she was exhausted and emotional. It was her first time in a shelter, and after weeks of couch surfing, sleeping in their car and even spending nights under a bridge, she broke into tears of relief upon seeing the safe neighborhood and warm, welcoming space.

The Annex is part of FamilyAid’s strategic response to Massachusetts’ ongoing housing and state shelter crisis. It allows us to house children and parents quickly without navigating lengthy state approval or being hampered by shrinking family shelter availability. Susana took a breath, her kids ran off to play and a five-year-old already staying at the Annex was thrilled to have new friends.

Since arriving, our team has made remarkable progress in helping Susana and her family regain stability:

• After days living under a bridge, the family’s most immediate needs–food, clothing, hygiene items–were met, with additional items like toys bringing a sense of normalcy back into their lives.

• All five children have been enrolled in summer programs at the local Boys & Girls Club, complete with bathing suits for pool days.

• With support from her FamilyAid team, Susana gathered the documentation needed to re-file for housing assistance.

• We arranged transportation so Susana could continue working, helping stabilize the family’s income.

Your support helps us continue this work—even when government funding falters. Thank you for standing with families.