Supporting women facing hunger in Boston
Special to the Times
The Mother’s Day card being offered this year
by Women’s Lunch Place.
Food insecurity across Massachusetts has reached a troubling milestone. According to recent data, 40 percent of households are now experiencing food insecurity—double the rate seen just a few years ago in 2019.
At Women’s Lunch Place (WLP), a day shelter serving women experiencing hunger, homelessness, and poverty, meals are more than just food.
Breakfast, lunch, and takeaway dinner are served each day in a space designed to feel calm and welcoming. Tables are set with flowers, coffee poured, and conversation encouraged. For many who walk through the doors, it is one of the few places where they can pause, feel safe, and be seen.
As Mother’s Day approaches, the organization is offering a way for the broader community to engage with that work.
Community members can choose to make a Mother’s Day gift in honor of a woman in their lives, which supports nutritious meals at WLP. The honoree receives a beautiful card featuring original artwork created by a guest of Women’s Lunch Place, notifying her of the gift.
The tradition of guest-created Mother’s Day card artwork has become a meaningful part of WLP’s seasonal outreach, connecting supporters with the lived experiences of the women they serve.
This year’s artist, reflecting on her time at the shelter, described what the space meant to her: “Before I came here, I was lonely. But when I walked in, I saw blooming flowers on every table, and delicious food, fruit, and coffee. I met many friends here, and we made jewelry and painted together… I want to pass on this kindness and love through my art.”
Her words capture something central to the organization’s approach: that dignity is not an add-on to the wraparound services at WLP, but a foundation.
While the Mother’s Day initiative offers structured giving options—ranging from a single card honoring a loved one to sponsoring a full day of meals—the emphasis remains on the broader impact. Contributions support the Healthy Meals Program, which provides freshly prepared food to women who often rely on the shelter as a primary source of nutrition.
But just as important as the meals themselves (WLP served a record 165,000 last year) is what surrounds them: a consistent, welcoming environment where women can build connections, access additional support, and begin to stabilize their lives.
As food insecurity continues to rise across the state, efforts like this highlight both the scale of the challenge and the powerful ways communities are responding—through meals shared, art created, and moments of recognition carried from one woman to another.
Learn more about the Mother’s Day Campaign at mothersdaycards.org.