Noble and Greenough School Students Turn Apartments into Homes for Homeless

Recently, eight students from in Dedham volunteered at Hearth, to assemble and arrange furniture, install shower curtains and place fresh linens on beds as a part of the organization’s adopt-a-room program at Hearth at Olmsted Green, the new residential program in Dorchester.

Hearth is a Boston-based non-profit that works to eliminate homelessness among the elderly and its newly constructed Olmsted Green will provide 59 three-room apartment homes to currently homeless seniors in Boston. Many of whom have called the streets of Boston and cots in shelters “home” for years will soon move in. The property offers a laundry room on each floor, common areas including a dining room with a gas fireplace, fitness area and an outdoor patio.  

Students Charlotte Abrecht, Nick Ainscough, Adrianna Brown, Tess Dupré, David Henderson, Bridget McCarthy, Inna Oh, and Alijah Rue, alongside Noble and Greenough School advisor, Colette Finley and faculty member Connie Yepez spent more than two hours helping to set-up and decorate two apartments at Olmsted Green, turning the space into homes for the new residents. The students were also asked to do research about homelessness in Boston prior to their visit and report on what they learned through their volunteerism.

“During the Noble and Greenough School Middle School Day of Service our students have the opportunity to learn through helping others,” says School Advisor, Colette Finley. “They learned about the growing population of homelessness in Boston, the important work of Hearth and also how much work it is to move into a new apartment. Most importantly they learned about leadership, civic duty and volunteerism.”

Hearth develops and operates affordable, service-enriched housing geared toward homeless and low-income elders and assists them in locating appropriate and affordable options through its Outreach Program. Hearth provides important support and stabilization services, all necessary to ensure permanent housing placements. By providing wrap-around services for its residents, integrating housing, mental health and medical care with social services, even very frail elders are able to live with considerable independence in their own apartments.

For more information about Hearth, or to volunteer at Olmsted Green visitwww.hearth-home.org, or contact Jennifer Hartwell at jhartwell@hearth-home.org or (617) 369-1565.

About Hearth:

Hearth, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the elimination of homelessness among the elderly in the Boston area. Founded in 1991, Hearth develops and operates affordable, service-enriched housing geared for homeless and low-income elders, assists elders in locating appropriate and affordable options in other community housing through its Outreach Program, and provides important support and stabilization services, all necessary to ensure permanent housing placements.