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The Ruth House 553 N. Main Street Brockton, MA 02301 (508) 580-5773 A home for teenage mothers and their children. See the  March 11, 2007 article about The Ruth House in   South Weekly section. Donate securely online at Lutheran Social Services of New England. The Ruth House is home to 10 teenage mothers and their children who would otherwise be homeless. Here, they have found refuge, safety, stability, and hope for the future.  These young mothers work on education, vocation, parenting and life skills that will prepare them for transition to self-sufficient living and a future filled with hope and promise.   In general, these young mothers are extremely committed to improving their lives so that they can live on their own and parent their children well. Even though they often need a great deal of support, these young women possess a range of personal strengths that have been largely unexplored because they have not had the opportunity to grow within a safe and supportive environment. THE NEED The chief funding source for the Ruth House program — the Massachusetts Department of Social Services — does provide funds for operations and maintenance, but not for major capital improvement. In fact, most repair work over the years has been accomplished by LSS, with generous support from individuals, congregations and foundations. The Ruth House has had minimal renovation work since it opened in 1995. As a result, important maintenance has been deferred. Charitable gifts have made some repairs and renovations possible. But these have merely applied the proverbial “band-aids” to an aging, century-old facility. Board members and other agency leaders, as well as Ruth House staff, are determined to ensure that the program provides residents with dignified, comfortable and secure surroundings for as long as there is a need. A recent needs assessment has determined that $315,000 is needed to accomplish essential improvements. With 10 families sharing the kitchen area, all appliances, cabinetry, flooring and electric circuitry need to be replaced. The traffic from hundreds of active young families over a decade necessitates the installation of new flooring and carpeting. The outdoor playground needs to be upgraded and expanded. To ensure the highest degree of security for mothers and children, windows need to be replaced. The entire building is on one heating zone because of its antiquated system. Duct work and upgrade to the electrical system will allow for the installation of central air conditioning. THE RUTH HOUSE is one of two programs of Lutheran Community Services of Southern New England (LCS, an affiliate of LSS) that offer transitional living for parenting homeless mothers and their children. The other program is the Florence House in Worcester, MA, which opened in 1987. These two programs are full almost 100 percent of the time. Together, they have sheltered more than 1,500 young families, supported them in their pursuit of education, vocation and life skills, and returned them to the community prepared to live independently and care for their families

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