5 for Good: HER Saturday clinic offers women experiencing homelessness safe space
5 for Good features the HER Saturday weekly women’s health clinic, which offers women experiencing homelessness a safe space. Free services include primary care, haircuts, manicures, and breakfast at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program.
Free services provided by volunteers include haircuts, manicures at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless
Monday through Friday, the lobby of Boston Health Care for the Homeless on Albany Street is bustling. Men and women line up for everything from primary care, to dental work and pharmacy services.
Come Saturday, the lobby looks very different because of a program called HER Saturday. Every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. women experiencing homelessness are invited to come into the lobby to eat, relax, play games and even enjoy spa services.
The HER stands for Health, Empowerment and Resources. Associate Medical Director Melinda Thomas came up with the concept.
“It really was born out of an identified need that was expressed by our patients,” Thomas said. “They were looking for a safe space to call their own.”
