Kip Tiernan

2005 Winner – Economic Category
Age: 79
Hometown: Boston, MA
Nominated by: Sue Marsh, Colleague and Friend

See how she used her award money

Kip Tiernan has been a trailblazer in the fight for economic and social equality for over three decades. In 1974, after witnessing a number of women in Boston trying to pass as men to get meals in male-only shelters, she founded Rosie's Place (www.rosies.org), a sanctuary for poor and homeless women. Tiernan mobilized a handful of volunteers and opened the doors of an old, abandoned grocery store as the first drop-in emergency shelter for women in the United States.

At Rosie's Place, thousands of women have found an oasis of hope and nourishment. Tiernan's vision has helped Rosie's Place evolve from a simple shelter to a critical resource providing a wide range of services. In addition to feeding nutritionally balanced meals to 150 women twice a day, every day of the year, the shelter now offers an advocacy center, grocery program, adult education, public policy support and a multitude of other on-site opportunities for guests and their children.

To this day, Tiernan, 79, continues to follow her passion to eradicate homelessness. She is a permanent member of the Rosie's Place board of directors, attends numerous fundraising events each year, and continues to be a vital force in the Rosie's Place community.

Thanks to Tiernan, countless women and children have received access to life services that might not otherwise have been available. She truly does "Stand On A Better World." We are honored to recognize her as the Winner in our Economic Category.

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