Rev. Nate Klug (center), co-minister at the First Parish in Lincoln, with congregants Jonathan Donaldson (left) and Gary Taylor as they prepare to deliver donated clothing to the Community Day Center of Waltham.
A grant from the First Parish in Lincoln is helping the Community Day Center of Waltham (CDCW) create a program designed to keep people housed after they leave homelessness.
The CDCW is a low-barrier, drop-in day shelter for adults experiencing homelessness that offers showers, hot lunches, laundry, clothing, and other necessities while also helping people secure permanent housing. But adjusting to life indoors, managing bills, and rebuilding routines can become barriers to long-term stability without continued support.
The church’s $25,000 Jean Wood Preston Grant will fund the CDCW’s pilot Housing Sustainability Program, which “recognizes that getting someone housed is only half the battle,” said Chloe-Rose Crouch, executive director of the CDCW. “Many people who have spent years surviving on the streets need continued support as they adjust to housing. This funding will help us provide that support through regular home visits, assistance with furnishing apartments and setting up utilities, financial coaching, connections to employment and community resources, and early intervention before small challenges become housing crises.”
The CDCW partnership with the First Parish extends beyond grant funding; volunteers from the church have pitched in for years. After learning that the facility had completely run out of men’s pants (a constant need among guests), congregants organized a collection. “We got so much stuff it was unreal — the response was overwhelming,” said Susan Taylor, one of the volunteers at FPL. They filled an entire truck with donations, and many members went to the CDCW to sort clothing, serve lunch, and chat with the guests. Visits like this give guests a chance to “talk to people and socialize, as opposed to other places where they’re just handing stuff out,” Taylor added.
Applications for 2027 Preston grants will be sent out by the end of October, so email suggestions to fplgiving@gmail.com. To qualify, the core mission of the organization must be to provide services or advocacy such as affordable housing, enrichment programs for youth, health and human services, social justice, disaster relief, and protecting the natural environment.
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