On The Rise, a safe haven in Cambridge for homeless women and women at risk, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
From outside, the large Victorian house on the corner of Broadway and Inman streets in Cambridge blends in with neighboring properties. But the women who come to the home each day probably don’t resemble most of the neighborhood’s residents and working people.
They are mostly homeless women who have been abused or have mental health or substance abuse problems or sometimes all of the above. They are women who haven’t had much luck receiving the help they need in emergency shelters or the multitude of existing social service programs. But from Monday through Saturday, there is this safe haven – a day shelter – in Cambridge that they can turn to for a meal, clothing, a shower, a nap or to simply use the phone.
The women are offered all these basics in hopes of helping them to eventually build a relationship of trust with the outreach workers and staff at On The Rise, explained Katya Fels, the organization’s founder and executive director.
The ultimate goal is to get women comfortable enough to talk about the issues and challenges they’re facing and once they decide to seek help, On The Rise can connect them with the appropriate services.
On The Rise refers to it as offering “the mortar between the bricks support,” according to Fels.
“If the bricks are existing traditional services, our job is to fill in and around those other services,” she said.
Unlike traditional service providers, On The Rise, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, receives most of its funding from private sources. About 80 percent of its funding comes from donations and family foundations. That gives On The Rise the flexibility to serve women with a multitude of problems who are the hardest to reach. “We have the ability to work with women without them having to fit in pigeonholes,” Fels said.
‘A Deep Commitment’
Cat, who asked that her full name not be used, heard about On The Rise back in 1997 when she was on the streets. She had recently relocated from Florida and ended up in jail. When she was released on Christmas Eve she had nowhere to go – but after asking around, she was led to On The Rise.
“It helped me immensely,” said Cat, who was at the safe haven last week to celebrate the birthday of one of the group’s five outreach workers. “The services are great. They do the best they can.”
On The Rise helped Cat find shelter and the services she needed. Eventually, she was able to move into her own apartment in Allston.
Fels started On The Rise after working in shelters. For four years, Fels worked at what is now known as the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, eventually becoming co-director.
Fels said she became very frustrated when she saw how women were struggling with a shelter and service system that she describes as rigid and controlling.
“The ‘one-size-fits-all’ [method] that I experienced and witnessed when I was working at the shelter wasn’t working for everyone,” said Fels.
Most people have a safety net of family and community that they can rely on in times of crisis, explained Fels. But for many of the troubled women who were sleeping on the streets, the safety net didn’t exist.
“If you don’t have that kind of basic support network, it’s very, very difficult to function beyond basic survival,” she said.
So with a $15,000 fellowship, Fels started a program to reach those un-served women. Operating out of a small office in the basement of the Old Cambridge Baptist Church, she spent much of the first year on program development and fund-raising and eventually assembled a board of directors.
A year later, she hired two outreach workers. During those first years, On The Rise reached out to women on the streets. As word eventually spread, the organization expanded its hours and Fels rented larger space in a church in North Cambridge.
By 1999, with a 75 percent increase in the women seeking out the safe haven, On The Rise had outgrown its space. Fels started searching for a new home and eventually found the property on Broadway, which was on sale for $1 million. At the time, the organization had a $400,000 operating budget.
Fels made an offer to purchase the property the day before Thanksgiving in 1999. She called donors and within three months was able to raise $250,000 and obtain a loan from Boston Private Bank & Trust Co. Later, Fels launched a capital campaign that netted $1.6 million: $1 million to purchase the property, $200,000 to make renovations and $400,000 for a maintenance fund.
At an open-house tour of On The Rise last month, Gillian Grossman, the organization’s development director, explained that there aren’t many rules and requirements for the women who come to On The Rise. Women don’t have to be sober and there are no limits or restrictions on the amount of time they spend there. Between 20 and 30 women visit on any given day.
Kristina Snyder, a board member of On The Rise, said most of the women have addiction and mental health problems and have suffered some type of abuse. On The Rise is unique because it does not have eligibility criteria for the women it serves, and most of the women have not been able to get help from other programs, according to Snyder.
“Most programs that are funded by the federal government and the state have eligibility criteria,” she said.
The safe haven includes a kitchen that opens up to a seating area with couches – a space that has become the heart of the house. The first level also includes a bathroom where women can shower, along with a nap room and a large living room with a television. The upper two floors include offices and another bathroom that women can use.
The lower level has a small room filled with donated clothing for the women, and a laundry room. A separate room on that level is used as a library, and also provides a place where women can receive medical and legal services several times a month.
Last year, On The Rise launched a wellness program. As part of the program, women can get haircuts, manicures and participate in a series of health-related workshops. Women also can participate in a writing group, while others are taught how to paint by a local artist.
While On The Rise has survived in the last decade, fund-raising continues to be a challenge, according to Fels. With an annual operating budget of about $900,000, the group used to receive a federal grant of between $45,000 to $50,000 each year.
But last year, On The Rise refused the federal funds because of a new regulation that required grant recipients to collect information about the people they served. The information is sent to a central database to enable the federal government to analyze who and how services are being utilized.
“We felt it would create a significant barrier to services for women who needed us most,” Fels said.
The group heavily relies on donations and an annual “Prepare for Winter” dinner that nets about $100,000 for the group. “We’re fortunate to have a savvy board of directors with good financial skills who at the same time have a deep commitment to the organization and what we do,” she said.
