Hundreds of people from Boston’s homeless community were treated to a warm, restaurant-style holiday meal Christmas Day at St. Francis House, and it was all made possible by a $25,000 donation from a family in Medfield.
The day shelter, the largest of its type in all of New England, hosted the annual celebration for what they estimated to be between 400 and 500 guests.
President and CEO of St. Francis House, Karen LaFrazia, says the large donation from the Medfield family not only funded the Christmas meal, but also another event and hundreds of gifts the night before.
“Today, we actually had a donor family that completely underwrote all of the costs of our entire Christmas dinner,” LaFrazia told the Herald. “Yesterday, we had a special event on Christmas Eve where we passed out Christmas presents for everybody, so everybody came through and they got their choice of a backpack and a choice of a sweatshirt and a gift card so they can spend on what they want and what they need. And it was completely underwritten by a generous family.
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“They are our Christmas angel,” she added. “The mother in this family used to come here when she was in high school and she would volunteer. She’s in a fortunate place right now, her and her family, so they’re able to give back in a very meaningful way.”
Volunteer Amy Wendel serves up apple cider to diners at the St. Francis House in Boston on Christmas Day. (Mark Stockwell/Boston Herald)
But it appears that a notable amount of regular St. Francis House donors have been diving deeper into their pockets than ever before, according to VP of Philanthropy and External Relations Andrew Russell.
“Increasingly, this year, we have seen an enormous amount of our donors leaping in their giving. So, for example, this family from Medfield had been giving us $1,000 per year until this year, when they gave us a $25,000 donation. Donors who had been giving $5,000 per year have been giving $50,000 per year. So, it’s heartwarming to see,” Russell said.
The warm, festive environment offered guests what staff say is a “moment of dignity,” paired with a chance to escape from the daily burdens many have been experiencing in their day-to-day lives.
Jason Tench, who tells the Herald he’s been homeless for “a long time,” says he seeks services at St. Francis House because staff “really, truly care.”
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“These people care a lot more [than most shelter services]. They come in every day and they appreciate us, which makes us appreciate them. It’s not just a job to them. They understand and they really, truly care. And it shows in the incredible work they do for us,” said Tench.
“It means a lot,” said Stephen Gonzalo, another homeless guest of St. Francis House. “I think this is where Jesus would want to be. It’s my first time here and luckily for me its on Christmas Day with this amazing meal and good people.”
Russell, the VP at St. Francis House, said the increase in donations — which allows St. Francis House to offer events like the Christmas meal — come as a blessing.
He says aside from special events, the extra cash is needed now more than ever, especially as the housing crisis paired with soaring utility costs in Massachusetts continues to make life unaffordable for residents.
“There’s more and more people that are coming in, whether it be seniors or young people that are on restricted incomes and if their rent goes up they can’t afford food or electricity, and people are forced to make difficult choices. So, the housing crisis definitely is playing a big part in the number of people we’re seeing on a daily basis,” Russell told the Herald. “We’re now up over 500 guests per day, every day. When you go back to 2023, we were seeing 7,000 people per year. The last two years we’ve been seeing 10,000 people per year.”
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Volunteer Michael Casey, left, waits to serve food at the St. Francis House in Boston. (Mark Stockwell/Boston Herald)
Homeless guest Arsenio Borges tells the Herald that he’s seen firsthand the help and support offered on a daily basis by St. Francis House, crediting the organization with helping him find housing for the first time in years.
“I think this is great. I live at the 112 Southampton Street shelter and this place has been incredible with how much they’ve helped me out. They actually just helped me get my Massachusetts ID so I can get housing finally. They’ve gotten clothing for me, shoes, socks, everything. So, they do help a lot,” said Borges.
As she enters her 19th year at St. Francis House, LaFrazia says the goal of the annual Christmas meal remains the same: to offer guests dignity, a warm meal and hope as they work to get through the challenges they face.
“I’ve been talking to our guests this morning and some of them have been reminiscing about Christmases past, when days were better for them and its bringing for them, a sadness,” said LaFrazia. “But, there’s also a little bit of joy for them to be here with friends and with staff that know they care about them and love them and us to give them a message of hope for the new year that things can and will get better.”
Karen LaFrazia, president and CEO of St. Francis House in Boston, speaks before volunteers served hundreds of meals on Christmas Day. (Mark Stockwell/Boston Herald)
Investigators identified Tyler Brown of Boston as the man who allegedly opened fire on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, leaving two victims with life-threatening injuries.
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said Brown fired 50 to 60 shots on the busy road shortly after 1 p.m. Monday.
Two male victims were hit in vehicles, Ryan said. They are in critical condition and fighting for their lives.
A Massachusetts State Police trooper and a civilian with a license to carry a firearm went toward the gunman and fired their weapons at him. Officers treated Brown at the scene, and he was brought to a Boston hospital, where he is in intensive care, according to the district attorney.
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This video shared with NBC10 Boston appears to show a man opening fire at cars on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Monday, May 11, 2026.
Authorities have, so far, shared limited information about the suspect.
“Mr. Brown is from Boston, and apparently was in the process of moving here. We understand that Mr. Brown was under the supervision of either the Massachusetts Probation Department or Department of Parole,” Ryan said.
She did not elaborate on why Brown may have been on probation or parole.
“We will address Mr. Brown’s criminal record, if any, at the arraignment,” she said.
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Ryan added that she did not know enough about Brown’s condition to say whether he would be arraigned in court or in a hospital bed. The timing was also not clear.
He will face two counts of armed assault with intent to murder and firearms charges, and “a variety of other charges as we unfold what took place, exactly, and we have a chance to speak to the many, many people who were out there,” Ryan said.
An inbound stretch of Storrow Drive and Soldiers Field Road will be closed each night through August for tunnel repairs, officials announced.
Starting Monday, the closures will begin at 8 p.m. and last until 5 a.m., state officials said.
Road closures begin at North Harvard Street in Allston and stretch along the Charles River Esplanade to Mugar Way in Boston, near the Hatch Memorial Shell, officials said.
Traffic will be detoured into Cambridge over the Anderson Bridge, along Memorial Drive, and then be routed into Boston over the Longfellow Bridge.
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The closures will allow ongoing repairs to the Storrow Drive Tunnel in the Back Bay.The work is the first phase of a two-stage project to extend the lifespan of the tunnel, which carries roughly 50,000 drivers to and from downtown Boston daily.
The outbound portion of the tunnel and accompanying roadways will not be affected.
State transportation officials said changes to the work schedule will be made when necessary to minimize impacts during major local events at TD Garden, Fenway Park, or during the FIFA World Cup and 250th anniversary celebrations scheduled for this summer.
Additional changes may be made without notice due to weather.
Transportation officials have not specified when the closures will end.
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Bryan Hecht can be reached at bryan.hecht@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @bhechtjournalism.
OXFORD — Ole Miss softball is back in the NCAA Tournament after making the Women’s College World Series a season ago.
The Rebels (34-24) will play Boston (46-13) on May 15 (1 p.m. CT, ESPNU) in the Lubbock Regional. Ole Miss is the No. 2 seed in the regional, and Boston is the No. 3.
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Texas Tech (52-6), the No. 11 overall seed and regional host, will face No. 4 Marist (37-19).
The Rebels went 6-18 in SEC play this season, and have a largely new-look roster from the team that made the WCWS last season.
Ole Miss beat South Carolina and Tennessee in the SEC Tournament to improve its seed.
Freshman Madi George has burst onto the scene in the SEC. The first-year infielder leads Ole Miss with a .385 batting average. She has a team-high 21 home runs and 58 RBIs.
Seniors Emilee Boyer (3.86 ERA), Kyra Aycock (3.97 ERA) and junior Lily Whitten (3.04 ERA) are the primary options in the circle for coach Jamie Trachsel.
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Trachsel is in her sixth season leading the Ole Miss program. She led the Rebels to their first WCWS appearance in program history in 2025.
What to know about Boston, Texas Tech and Marist in Lubbock Regional
Boston entered the Patriot League Tournament as the top seed and the Terriers delivered. Boston beat No. 2 Colgate 12-1, becoming the second team in Patriot League history to four-peat as conference champions. Boston is on a 12-game winning streak. Kylie Doherty leads the team with a .396 batting average and 26 home runs.
Texas Tech made the 2025 WCWS championship series, losing to Texas in three games.
Texas Tech lost just three Big 12 games this season but lost in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. The Red Raiders are a strong threat to get to the WCWS again. There are four Texas Tech batters hitting over .400. Star pitcher NiJaree Canady leads the Red Raiders with a 1.24 ERA. She has 209 strikeouts.
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Marist plays in the MAAC and won the conference tournament. Marist split a two-game series against South Carolina early in the season. Ava Metzger (12-3, 2.51 ERA) and Peyton Pusey (.404 batting average) lead the team.
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
