The Women’s Lunch Place, a day shelter located on Newbury Street in Boston, has developed a peer-led empowerment program aimed at supporting older women experiencing homelessness or poverty. The sessions, facilitated by Theresa Rolley, serve as a community-building space for women facing a range of challenges, including addiction, mental health issues, domestic violence, and housing instability.
Rolley, who has a background as a wellness and recovery advocate at Boston Medical Center, oversees groups that typically include about 20 participants per session. The shelter records participant attendance rather than individual identities, with 1,628 women attending the program last year—making it one of the most frequented offerings at the shelter. The initiative particularly targets vulnerable women aged 50 and older, a demographic that advocates say is growing within the homeless population and faces unique barriers to assistance.
Jennifer Hanlon Wigon, the executive director of Women’s Lunch Place, highlighted an increase in behavioral health and trauma-related issues among the women they serve. “We’re seeing more mental health issues, more trauma issues than in past years,” she said. The sessions act as an entry point where underlying challenges are identified and subsequently addressed through the shelter’s broader housing stabilization program. To date, around 400 women have been assisted through this program, with over 95 percent maintaining stable housing after placement.
The empowerment group was inspired by a collaborative effort between Rolley and the shelter’s leadership. Originally intended to support women struggling with addiction, Rolley expanded the program’s scope to encompass a wider range of needs including self-esteem building, social skills development, and addressing toxic relationships. This holistic approach is designed to meet women “where they are,” without judgment, fostering a supportive environment for a diverse range of experiences.
Rolley’s personal history informs her work; she is a survivor of sex trafficking, homelessness, and domestic violence, and once was a guest at the Women’s Lunch Place herself. After overcoming these challenges, including completing degrees in psychology and organizational leadership, she has spent nearly a decade advocating for women in crisis at Boston Medical Center while leading this shelter group.
Experts in the field note the growing homelessness crisis among older women nationally. Judith Gonyea, a social work professor at Boston University, described women aged 50 to 61 as “tweeners” who often fall through gaps in existing support systems, lacking access to both family-based and senior-specific assistance. Research indicates that people in this age group are the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population in the United States, with older women disproportionately affected by poverty and accelerated health decline.
Domestic violence remains a primary driver of homelessness among women at the shelter, according to Hanlon Wigon, with an estimated 90 percent reporting histories of severe physical or sexual assault. The Women’s Lunch Place has responded by incorporating trauma-informed practices and offering wraparound services aimed at empowering women to regain control of their lives.
During recent sessions, Rolley guides participants through discussions that combine empathy with practical encouragement, fostering a sense of community among attendees from varied backgrounds. Stories of resilience and progress are shared alongside ongoing struggles with debt, discrimination, and family loss.
Participants credit the program with helping them access education, housing, and employment, as well as navigate complex social and legal systems. Rolley emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and persistence in recovery and personal growth.
The program reflects a broader recognition among service providers of the need to address the complex, intersecting challenges faced by older women experiencing homelessness. By blending lived experience with professional advocacy, the Women’s Lunch Place initiative aims to create sustainable pathways out of poverty and trauma for a demographics often overlooked by traditional social services.