Jean Fedigan, Founder and Chief Mission Officer, Sister José Women’s Center
Monday, July 29, 2024,
2:30pm – 3:30pm,
ASA Koffler Great Room and Zoom
The U. S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling upholding city ordinances prohibiting homeless encampments has renewed local concerns over the increasing problem of finding shelter for unhoused individuals. Between 2018 and 2023, Pima County saw a 60% growth in the number of such at-risk persons. Due to rising rental costs, many seniors on fixed incomes are finding themselves without housing for the first time in their lives. Domestic violence, serious mental illness, and substance abuse disorder are all contributing factors.
Living on the streets poses particular dangers for women, whose physical safety and possessions are always threatened. Of 2,209 unsheltered persons in Pima County on a given night, 627 were women and more than half of those had no established residence. Honoring the teachings and the compassion of Sister José Hobday (1929-2009), a Franciscan nun who dedicated her life to helping the poor, the Sister José Women’s Center, established in 2009, is a Tucson-based 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that exists to aid and transform the lives of unaccompanied women who are unhoused. It offers those women a stable and safe environment to recuperate from the daily struggles of homelessness and extreme poverty and is dedicated to creating a sustainable future for them by providing life-changing support and resources to begin their transition out of housing insecurity. With a staff of 30, the center currently serves 42 overnight guests and up to 70 during the day.
In 2022, Jean Fedigan, founder, former CEO, and present chief mission officer of the Sister José Women’s Center, received the Lumen Christi Award from the Roman Catholic diocese of Tucson for her contributions to alleviating the sufferings of impoverished women. She will recount the history of the center, tell the stories of some of its guests, describe the facility and its operations, and report on expansion plans to add 15 more beds.
Compiled by Marilyn Skinner, Academy Village Volunteer
You can connect to Zoom either by using the following URL: https://zoom.us/j/95456511620?pwd=OC9GcnJRNmJpMTdXdXFhaUpCUkx4QT09 or by opening a browser to zoom.com/join and typing in Meeting ID: 954 5651 1620 and Passcode: 85747