Shelter

Imagine having nowhere to go; nowhere to sleep, eat or shower. Now, imagine having children to take care of under these circumstances. Where would you go?

Housing

Abby’s House is Worcester’s largest provider of affordable housing specifically designed to meet the needs of women and children.

Advocacy

We all need support to get through the tough times in our lives. At Abby's, having a personal Advocate makes a world of difference to the women we serve. 

Vote for Abby's House on July 1st in Toyota's 100 Cars for Good Campaign

WPI Students Dance to Make a Difference!

Together with Professor Hossein Hakim, a group of students at WPI raised $1,000 to benefit Abby's House. They stopped by on March 21 to deliver the money and have lunch with the residents. This is part of an ongoing and unique project to raise funds for their Empowerment Fund, which provides small grants to the women of Abby's House to realize their goals. Many thanks to Professor Hakim and his students for their enthusiasm and support!

Fred Harris Daniels Foundation provides ARST Funds!

The Fred Harris Daniels Foundation has provided Abby's House with a grant of $7,500 for the ARST Fund, which provides small grants and loans to our residents to help them meet unexpected expenses or realize their goals. We appreciate the Foundation's ongoing generosity and support! 

Take Our Survey

Help Us Chart a Course

Abby’s House is embarking on a strategic plan and we need your help!
As someone who cares about the organization, we’d like you to complete a short survey, which can be accessed here: www.abbyshouse.org/spsurvey

Take Our Survey

Help Us Chart a Course

Abby’s House is embarking on a strategic plan and we need your help!
As someone who cares about the organization, we’d like you to complete a short survey, which can be accessed here: www.abbyshouse.org/spsurvey

This survey takes less than 15 minutes to complete, and will provide
us with valuable information as we chart a course for the next few years.
We encourage you to be candid in your responses! All survey answers
will be held in complete confidence, and will be tallied, generalized
and presented as a summary to the organization. Everyone who
completes a survey and provides their contact information will be
placed in a drawing for a $25 gift certificate to the Thrift Shop.

 

The strategic plan will take place in three phases:

I. Intake: this includes surveying all of our stakeholder groups, looking at certain aspects of the organization, and creating a "snapshot" of where Abby's House is today.

II. Retreat: this day-long board/staff retreat will allow us to establish a shared vision, set our priorities and select goals for the coming two years.

III. Planning: during this phase, we will detail the action steps needed to achieve the goals adopted at the retreat. Once everything is approved by the board, it will be set into motion!

Our goal is to complete Phases I & II by the end of June and complete Phase III by October 1. This plan will cover 2013-2014.

If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Lange: 508.756.5486 x 18.

Abby's Shelter Gets a Fresh Coat of Paint

Our Mission

Since 1976, Abby Kelley Foster House, Inc. (Abby’s House) has provided more than 11,500 homeless women and children with a safe place to stay, regroup, and rebuild. Abby’s House was among the first shelter for women, with or without children, in the U.S. At present, it is one of two family shelters in the area that does not require its guests to be on welfare. With 78 units, Abby’s House is the largest provider of affordable housing in Worcester designed  to meet the needs of women and children.

Things We Need

Top Ten Needs

  • Twin size mattress & box spring sets
  • Mattress Covers (twin size)
  • Pillows
  • Pillow cases
  • Toilet paper
  • Black and Silver Permanent Sharpies (medium)
  • Sturdy, high quality pots & pans for our food service 
  • WRTA BUS PASSES
  • Home Depot Gift Cards 
  • Gift Cards to area supermarkets

Fundraising Events Organized by Community Groups

Groups of all sizes from across New England organize fundraising events to benefit Abby’s House. Just a few of many examples of these are:

The Business of Success

Sometimes it is hard to imagine why people become homeless. Could it be a direct effect of what life has unexpectedly placed in their path? For Anne, it was receiving the news that her husband wanted a divorce.
Her story continues...
Tragedy to Triumph

This is the story of Mary. Mary is 56 years old, an African American woman and she has been a part of Abby's House since the 90s. Mary is developmentally challenged and suffers from Anxiety Disorder. She grew up with her parents, her aunt and later with her cousin after her parents passed away. Her cousin and cousin's boyfriend were physically and emotionally abusive, restricting her access to food until late in the day by putting a chain in the refrigerator and stealing her money.
Her story continues...
A New Season of Life

Due to emotional abuse, Debbie made the choice to separate from her husband. Though she had access to stay elsewhere, she chose Abby's House. Debbie graciously shares her story…
Her story continues...