Center for women in need of expansion

 

Sister José Women’s Center in Tucson is in desperate need of expanding its footprint at its current location south of downtown Tucson. The nonprofit organization is raising critical funds that will allow the organization to make better use of the land it currently owns. 

                   

For years, women in crisis have found refuge at Sister Jose’s. Since its opening in 2009, it’s estimated more than 36,000 women have visited the center. Nicola Hartmann, the Chief Executive Officer, said the center has seen a 25 percent increase each year amounting to about 200 more visitors each month. Numbers that are not sustainable in its current capacity. 

                   

The women at the center are often unhoused and in a period of financial distress. Many are managing physical or emotional challenges while they seek safe shelter. Half arrives with no income. Oftentimes, substance use disorder plays a factor in their circumstances. Regardless of circumstances, guests are met with care and compassion as they are helped by the small staff and army of volunteers.

 

Hartmann said the center supports 85-125 women each day, while at night about 50 to 54 women sleep at the center. The effort, Hartmann said, would not be possible without the community’s support, “Staff and volunteers serve breakfast and lunch while providing guests with clean restrooms, hot showers, fresh clothes, and a free laundry facility.” Pima County, Hartmann said, is experiencing a long wait for housing, sometimes eclipsing a year before moving into permanent housing, “This reduces the availability of shelter space for the recurring or newly unhoused, causing more people to live in public spaces where they face harassment, violence, and the threat of arrest.” It’s estimated that one in three unhoused adults are women, while the fastest growing population are those who live on a fixed income, which are most often older adults and people with disabilities. 

                   

Over the years, the mission has grown to provide women with more than the necessities, “We offer supportive services to include case management dedicated to creating a sustainable future so they can transition out of housing insecurity.” Hartmann said she is grateful for the community’s support of Sister Jose’s, “Safety is non-existent on the streets. Danger lurks around every corner. It is common to have possessions stolen when sleeping.” 

       

Sister Jose Women’s Center began as an outreach program through Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church on Tucson’s eastside, Hartmann explained, “In many ways, our mission is the same as when we first began: the care of our neighbors who are unsheltered, serving women with love, respect, and compassion in a welcoming environment.” The center was the vision of Jean Fedigan who worked to develop a center focused solely on supporting women in need. It was built on the teachings and compassion of Sister José Hobday, a Franciscan nun who dedicated her life to helping the poor. 

 

As Hartmann looks toward the future, “I think of Monsignor Tom Cahalane who often said, ‘If it is of God, the mission will continue.’” To learn more about Sister Jose Women’s Center please visit, https://sisterjose.org/.