The Sister Jose Women's Center has a new home in Tucson, organizers say.
"They can receive a simple meal for lunch, they can rest for a while," said executive director Jean Fedigan. "Many women, to be safe, will walk the streets. Just to keep from being vulnerable."
The volunteer organization and day center provides unaccompanied homeless women with a stable and safe environment to recuperate from the daily struggle of homelessness and extreme poverty.
The new, 9,000 sq. ft facility on 1050 S. Park Avenue is better equipped to handle the 10,000 visits per year.
Jean hopes the new facility will be open for business in January. Here are some of the added benefits of the new center:
Expand SJWC's Day Program
- Enough space for up to 35 women at one time
- Large community room for meals and conversation
- Quiet sleep room for daytime rest
- Classroom with computers for employment readiness training
- Spacious restroom facilities with four showers
- Separate laundry room with four washer and dryers
- Lockers to secure personal belongings
- Commercial kitchen
- Administrative space
- Separate donations room with a dressing room
Expand SJWC's Winter Night Program
- Sleep up to 35 guests seven nights a week from November through the third week of March
- Community dinner
- Evening activities
"Our goal is to get them off the street, link them with agencies as much as I can to help them," said Jean, "then envision ways in which I can bring those services here. Not so that we do them, but so other agencies can."
From painting to landscaping, Sister Jose's needs community help with donations in the form of time and labor.
