Adopt-A-Room Program

Turn Apartments into Homes for Homeless Elders at Hearth at Olmsted Green

A Lasting Impact "Each time I go by Hearth at Burroughs Street, I still feel that my work is “visible” - that my time and money have had impact over time. —Thea Offermann, who particpated in the Adopt-A-Room Program for Hearth at Burroughs Street

New residents of Hearth housing have been surviving on precious little, either in shelters or on the streets. As you can imagine, these frail elders enter their new homes with few furnishings or personal effects. Each time Hearth opens a new home, all of the bedrooms or apartments (depending on the style of the residence) need to be decorated and furnished for the new tenants. We offer a practical and uniquely rewarding opportunity to welcome Hearth's newest clients and help them settle into their new home.

The Adopt-A-Room program allows you to transform empty apartments into homes and the community areas into welcoming spaces.

Hearth at Olmsted Green is comprised of 59 single bedroom apartments and each needs to be furnished and decorated.

There are several ways for you to get involved, including:

1. Organizing a drive to collect household items. You could try and collect all the items needed for one apartment, or focus on collecting one item, such as dinner plates or shower curtains, and collecting enough to outfit several apartments - or a whole floor - or the whole building!
2. Volunteering to move furniture. When the 59 reclining chairs (and beds, and dressers and sofas) are delivered to the building, we'll need help bringing a chair to each room.
3. A $500 donation will cover the costs of purchasing basic household items for one apartment. Hearth can purchase these items and you can, if you wish, arrange the items to make the apartment ready for a new resident.
4. A donation of $3,000 will cover the costs of purchasing both furnishings and other fixtures. You can then come and decorate the apartment if you wish.
5. $8000 will furnish and decorate one of the three community living rooms where residents can gather together.

Many other opportunities are also available. For more information about this program, download the Adopt-A-Room brochure or contact Cristina Nelson, Adopt-A-Room Program Volunteer, at 617-450-0338.