The Monterey Peninsula is home to approximately 400-500 homeless women, half of whom are over the age of 50. Many of these women have lived here for decades, if not all of their lives, and who through job loss, widowhood, disability, or simply aging have not been able to keep up with soaring rental costs. Now with the economic recession, the impact of Covid-19, we expect the numbers of homeless and housing insecure to increase.
Gathering for Women – Monterey (GFW) is the only organization on the Monterey Peninsula focused on serving homeless women. We are a volunteer-based organization relying on over 100 volunteers and 15 staff members to provide our guests with hot meals, clothing, showers, emergency assistance and case management. GFW is dedicated to providing our guests with a sense of belonging, a belief that their community cares about them, and hope for a better life.
GFW is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt, charitable organization. It started with an incredible cohort of volunteers. Five women – Carol Greenwald, Kathleen Baker, Mary Eileen Kiniry, Flo Miller, and Catherine Metz – led the charge but many others quickly joined them. These early volunteers committed themselves to providing critical services to homeless women, so initial efforts focused on creating a warm and engaging place where homeless women would be treated with the respect they deserve, and hope for a better future. The volunteers started by sharing a weekly hot lunch for our guests served on tables covered with tablecloths and fresh flowers. Early on other needs were recognized, so clothing, help with navigating social services, and extra food supplies were added to the weekly lunches. Most of this was done by volunteers who hauled and prepared the food, did the setup and clean up, and collected and dispensed clothing wherever the weekly lunch was happening. There were at least 4 different sites over the first 4 years.
What had been an effort by a small band of caring volunteers providing once-a-week food and care evolved into a grander vision of having a Day Center that would consolidate on-site meals, clothing, and other activities. The vision quickly became a real, near-term option as the community responded to the fundraising efforts of GFW, and in less than 2 years, GFW had sufficient funds to renovate a building into our current Day Center.
Today, we offer homeless and housing-insecure women and families a safe and secure place during the day. They can get a hot breakfast, lunch, or bag lunch to go; clothes and personal items; showers; help navigating the various social services and benefits they might be eligible for; and participate in workshops that range from workforce training, painting classes, meditation sessions, writing and poetry classes, and even Yoga.
Driven by a strong commitment to its core values of Hope, Empowerment, Advocacy, Respect, and Transparency (H.E.A.R.T.), and to remaining an organization dominated and led by volunteers, GFW has evolved from a conversation between five women to being the dream of a larger grassroots community to finally a dynamic, viable non-profit organization with strong community ties. We are supported by diverse funding sources ranging from foundation grants, government contracts, and donations from our community. We also work with a vast array of community partners and local non-profits to ensure our guests receive the care and support they need most.
