Issue link: http://southshoremagazine.uberflip.com/i/1446867
19 TheSouthShoreMagazine.com Father Bill's & MainSpring (FBMS) has operated overnight shelters on the South Shore for more than thirty years, offering emergency services to anyone in need. While Father Bill's Place in Quincy serves more than 900 people every year, providing for basic needs such as a bed and a hot meal, the needs of our vulnerable neighbors far surpass the current approach of overnight shelters. "Business as usual is no longer working," says John Yazwinski, president and CEO of FBMS. "We need a more permanent answer." FBMS has a plan: A new housing resource center to provide not only emergency shelter, but crucial day services which focus on getting ahead of the problems. Named in honor of a lead gift from the Yawkey Foundation, the Yawkey Housing Resource Center in Quincy goes beyond simply managing homelessness. With your help, it will provide diversion and prevention services, a training space and a full-service health clinic— as well as other support programs aimed at finding permanent housing. MEASURING SUCCESS: Patsy's Story Homelessness. Many of us never even consider the possibility, but the reality is that adversity can strike at any time, leaving people without options and, in many cases, without hope. Not even a decade ago, Patsy owned her own home, had a stable job and the companionship of her longtime partner. After losing her partner to cancer, Patsy struggled with depression, anxiety and physical issues which affected her ability to work. By 2020, she was homeless and sleeping behind a dumpster on the South Shore with her beloved emotional support dog, Sox. It was the height of the pandemic and Patsy worried that the close quarters of a shelter could put her at great risk. After spending a couple weeks on the streets, however, Patsy found her way to FBMS's emergency shelter in Quincy, where she was relieved to find advanced safety protocols in place. Patsy and Sox were moved into their own room at a local hotel operated by FBMS that served as a temporary emergency Patsy with Governor Baker and Lt. Gov. Polito. This photo was taken at an event in March 2021 where Baker-Polito announced public funding for the Housing Resource Center in Quincy.