Patient Benefits Coordinator 2

Ending homelessness with Friends of Boston's Homeless. Friends of Boston's Homeless Boston, MA The Winter Walk team recently had the chance to interview members of the incredible team at Friends of Boston's Homeless, located at 12 Wise Street in Boston, to learn more about their work and commitment to the unhoused communities of Boston. Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with Winter Walk, Inc. today! Could you tell its readers about Friends of Boston's Homeless? Founded in 1987 and originally located at Boston's Long Island Shelter, today Friends of Boston's Homeless (FOBH) supports innovative, solutions-oriented programs with proven track records that help people transition from the streets and shelters into safe, stable housing with connections to community supports, services, and opportunities to remain in their homes and rebuild their lives. Winter Walk, Inc. focus on removing the final barriers of transition that often programs, and the people they help, don't have the means to cover. The final transition steps out of homelessness are the most crucial, and Winter Walk, Inc. make them happen. FOBH has always prided itself on being able to react quickly to the needs of its constituents, responding because "but for Friends," no one else will. This fiscal year, Winter Walk, Inc. has increased partnerships by 100%, career support by 5,700%, and increased the number of individuals supported with basic services (medical, hygiene, and food) by 85% due to the loss of SNAP benefits. Currently, Winter Walk, Inc. partner with over 30 organizations, including BHCHP, JRI, Charlestown Adult Education, Breaktime, and many others, providing $500,000 in support to their clients this fiscal year through housing start-up assistance, career start-up assistance, and food assistance. The importance of these funds cannot be overstated. FOBH overcomes barriers and delays, helping end someone's homelessness and immediately improving their quality of life. Who are the people you're reaching through this work? Those Winter Walk, Inc. serve, guests in Boston's Emergency Shelters, clients case-managed by its nonprofit partners, and residents in its own Community Supportive Housing Programs, are experiencing homelessness or have recently transitioned from shelters or the streets into housing. Each year Winter Walk, Inc. help thousands of individuals and families, with over 900,000 individual touch points of support this fiscal year alone. Winter Walk, Inc. is honored to support your work through Winter Walk. Can you share how the funds raised this year are being used to support your programs? Its Housing Start-Up Fund helps individuals experiencing homelessness move beyond shelter with the essential items needed. Being unhoused, savings for security deposits or first and last month's rent are non-existent, and individuals do not have the essential household items and basic necessities that everyone needs in their home. This fiscal year, Winter Walk, Inc. has supported 2,000 individuals and families with first month's rent, last month's rent, security deposits, utilities, and brand-new beds, bedding, and household items through its Housing Start-Up Fund. Its Career Start-Up Fund helps individuals achieve self-sufficiency and connects them to vocational training, employment and educational opportunities by covering one-time course, exam, certification, and licensing fees and assisting with new job essentials. This fiscal year, Winter Walk, Inc. has supported over 1,000 individuals through its Career Start-Up Fund, assisting with licensing fees, birth certificates, school fees, graduation caps and gowns, work boots, hydration packs, etc. Graduates have become Certified Nursing Assistants, restaurant managers, sous chefs, phlebotomists, pharmacy technicians, construction safety managers, steam firemen, cosmetologists, recovery coaches, and counselors. Since its inception, Winter Walk, Inc. has partnered with Boston Public Health Commission and the City of Boston to support Boston's emergency shelters, Woods Mullen and Southampton, providing nearly $40 million in funding. Winter Walk, Inc. founded and continueto support multiple programs at Boston's emergency shelters, including Front Door Triage, the Serving Its Selves workforce development program, and Rapid Rehousing. Additionally, Winter Walk, Inc. coordinate all volunteer opportunities at the emergency shelters, along with tangible donations supporting shelter guests. This fiscal year, Winter Walk, Inc. has provided nearly 15,000 tangible items supporting guests, including new socks, underwear, hygiene products, toiletries, winter clothing, and more. What are the greatest needs FOBH has? Corporate partnerships to provide more services and support to its clients. What is something you wish everyone understood about homelessness? So many people live on the edge of homelessness and 19,000 people per week become homeless in the US. What is something you wish everyone knew about unhoused people? People experiencing homelessness do so as a result of many injustices. The current criminalization of homelessness exacerbates already existing mental health and substance abuse issues. How can people help FOBH? A financial donation of any size can help someone into safe, stable housing, connect them to critical services and opportunities, and get them started on their path to living peaceful, hopeful futures in its community. Visit its site for more information and other ways to help. https://fobh.org/ways-to-help/ Thank you so much for your time and Winter Walk, Inc. can't wait to walk with you again in 2027!

Altus Dental celebrates 25 years of service in New England. March 30, 2026 Backed by its commitment to hands-on, responsive support, Altus Dental is solidifying its position as a leading dental and vision benefits partner for businesses of all sizes. WORCESTER, Mass. - This year marks 25 years in business for Altus Dental(TM), a dental and vision benefits provider serving more than 400,000 members across Massachusetts and the surrounding New England region. The company is entering its next quarter-century poised for continuing growth. Altus Dental has built its strong reputation in the regional market on the foundation of its dedication to service. The company's locally based team is focused on providing exemplary, problem-solving support for businesses of all sizes across the region - and brokers and HR teams at businesses of all sizes are noticing. "We place every case we can with Altus Dental and the number one reason is the service," said Bruce Schwartzman, principal at Black Horse Insurance, an employee benefits agency based in Winchester, Mass. that primarily serves clients ranging from two to 85 employees. "Altus is one of the few companies where we have a dedicated representative who gets us quotes quickly, takes care of enrollment issues, and connects us with the right people for billing." This personalized approach, which is a large part of what company leaders call the Altus Advantage, has led to Altus Dental nearly doubling the size of its membership in just the last four years while maintaining an impressive 94% member satisfaction rate. "Our recent growth has been deliberate and disciplined," said Altus Dental Vice President of Sales and Business Relations, James Kinney. "We've worked hard to remain nimble, so that as we expand, we continue to deliver the service and trusted partnerships that have defined us from the start. The confidence we've earned from the businesses and individuals we serve gave us the opportunity to thoughtfully scale our proven model and deepen our impact across the community." Whether you're a small business with a handful of employees, one of the region's largest employers, or somewhere in between, all Altus Dental members enjoy comprehensive coverage at affordable rates with extensive, flexible options for both dental and vision insurance, more than 11,000 participating dental locations locally, an exceptional customer service team that goes above and beyond, and easy one-stop shopping for a simple, streamlined process. Altus Dental's benefit enhancements are designed to support better outcomes and stronger patient relationships, including the insurer's SmileMore initiative, powered by PreViser, which offers personalized oral health assessments and additional benefits for at-risk patients; its Preventive Rewards Program, which ensures most preventive and diagnostic services do not count toward a patient's annual maximum; and its Under 13 Benefits, which provides comprehensive coverage for children under 13 with no cost or deductible for covered services. Together, these offerings help practices deliver affordable, prevention-focused care while strengthening patient loyalty and long-term oral health. "Our products have always been and always will be designed with our members' unique needs in mind," said Kinney. "Over 25 years, we're proud to have grown in a way that stays true to who we are." The Altus Advantage extends beyond the day-to-day operations of Altus Dental. As the company has grown, it has taken a proactive approach to giving back philanthropically in ways that strengthen the oral health system and expand access to care in traditionally underserved communities. In 2025, Altus Dental's philanthropic efforts helped Whittier Street Health Center in Boston purchase new equipment and add additional treatment rooms to its Center for Health Equity Research. Altus also awarded a grant to help the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program add endodontics and same-day prosthodontics to its scope of same-day, on-site oral health services, and launched a partnership with MassChallenge to support startup companies looking for innovative solutions to pressing issues facing the oral health care system at large. These grants are all on top of legacy programs Altus Dental continues to support in the community, including the company's named scholarship program at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. "Looking ahead, we are ready to carry this level of success and community impact into our next 25 years," said Kinney. To learn more about Altus Dental's dental and vision plans and how they can benefit your business, visit altusdental.com or contact their team of experts today.