On February 13, 2022, I will be walking with Team Socially Responsible Surgery, part of team BMC, Boston Medical Center’s athletic fundraising team, in the annual Winter Walk to raise awareness and life-changing funds to benefit BMC’s Vision 2030—the hospital’s newest initiative to make Boston the healthiest urban population by 2030—which has a key area of focus on addressing homelessness and housing insecurity. During my walk, I will be putting myself in the shoes of the many BMC patients who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.  Your contribution will make a lasting difference for BMC’s most vulnerable patients.

As you know, for many people, Boston Medical Center is their only option. BMC stands as New England’s largest safety net hospital and is a leading expert in looking at the social determinants of health when caring for patients. Homelessness and housing insecurity (a history of homelessness, moving at least twice in a year or falling behind on rent) are growing concerns among BMC’s patients. Both are linked to poor child health outcomes and missed education opportunities and financial stability over a lifetime. Despite the desperate need for affordable housing, only one in four eligible families have access to it and with that comes lengthy waiting periods—in Boston alone, the waitlist for affordable housing units is eight to 10 years.

BMC looks at all of the ways a patient’s health is affected, like housing.  It has several programs and services in place to improve access to safe and affordable housing for its patients, adhering to the belief that with a place to call home, patients and their families are able to grow and thrive in all aspects of their health. 

I believe ending homelessness is within our reach.  Please learn more about the Winter Walk at winterwalkboston.org and consider a donation to my efforts.  Thanks!