Crittenton Women's Union

Crittenton Women’s Union (CWU) is a nonprofit innovator in breaking the cycle of poverty. We provide direct services, perform in-depth research, and advocate for public policy changes that will support low-income women in their journey to economic self-sufficiency. Each year CWU helps more than 1,500 people through its mobility mentoring, housing, and education and workforce development programs.

Our Direct Service Programs

• Career Family Opportunity — A five-year, pilot program that helps single parents build the foundation essential to achieving economic independence through mobility mentoring, peer group support, cash incentives, matched savings, education and career counseling, and life skills training.
• Economic Mobility Institute – A cafeteria-style curriculum of trainings that provide the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve family stability and economic independence. It includes Woman to Woman, a 12-week computer training and professional development course.
• GED – A secondary-level education program that includes life skills, work skills, and computer training for young men and women.
• Emergency and Transitional Housing – Shelter facilities for homeless mothers and children, with a capacity of 140 families at one time and serving more than 350 families a year. CWU is the largest shelter provider of its kind in Massachusetts.
• Boston Neighborhoods Healthy Families – A home-based program that provides first-time parents under 21 years old with education and parenting and life skills in order to prevent child abuse and promote economic independence.