Ethos — Home Care, Meals on Wheels and Community Cafés

Ethos is a nonprofit with its main office at 555 Amory Street in Jamaica Plain. It coordinates nutrition and in-home services and is the designated aging-services agency for Southwest Boston. It also serves as one of the three entry agencies that receive Boston ElderINFO referrals. The shared information line is 617-292-6211; nutrition and cafe questions go to 617-477-6688.

Meals on Wheels delivers hot meals on weekdays to adults age 60 and older in Southwest Boston, Allston, and Brighton who have difficulty shopping, cooking, or leaving home. Service includes a wellbeing check, social contact, and therapeutic or culturally appropriate meal options; the suggested donation is $2 per meal and is voluntary. Intake begins by phone or online form, followed by a needs review before service is confirmed.

For people who can leave home, Ethos operates community cafes where older adults can eat and socialize. Its official page lists 39 locations within Boston plus one Brookline site, which is excluded from this city list; addresses are organized by neighborhood above. Some sites operate each weekday, others once or several times a week, and several require registration. Call 617-477-6688 before traveling to confirm the next meal, hours, accessibility, and enrollment steps.

Home care extends beyond meals. Depending on assessed need, Ethos may coordinate homemaking, laundry, shopping, meal preparation, personal care, companion visits, transportation, home-safety adaptations, and caregiver respite. An interested resident starts with Boston ElderINFO; an Ethos specialist may then arrange a home visit, conduct a preliminary eligibility review, and help build a care plan. Specific services and any cost share depend on need and eligibility.

Ethos is the regional aging-services agency for Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, West Roxbury, Hyde Park, and Mattapan, while its nutrition program also reaches other neighborhoods. A cafe address may belong to a community center, housing site, or partner organization rather than an Ethos office. Verify the location and registration requirements before going, especially for monthly cafes or sites with limited weekly hours.

Service locations and community sites

• Ethos — oficina principal — 555 Amory Street, Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA 02130 · (617) 522-6700 · Directions ↗
• Beacon House Café — Back Bay — 19 Myrtle Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Café Emmanuel — Back Bay — 15 Newbury Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Morville House Café — Back Bay — 100 Norway Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Covenant House Café — Brighton — 30 Washington Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Veronica Smith Café — Brighton — 20 Chestnut Hill Avenue, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Ferrin Café — Charlestown — 100 Ferrin Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Main Street Café — Charlestown — 382 Main Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Codman Apartments Café — Dorchester — 784 Washington Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Grove Hall Café — Dorchester — 51 Geneva Avenue, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Keystone Café — Dorchester — 151 Hallet Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Olmstead Green Café — Dorchester — 2 Kingbird Road, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Pasciucco Apartments Café — Dorchester — 330 Bowdoin Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Peabody/Englewood Café — Dorchester — 1875 Dorchester Avenue, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• VietAID Café — Dorchester — 42 Charles Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• East Boston Senior Center Café — East Boston — 7 Bayswater Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Heritage Café — East Boston — 209 Sumner Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Blake Estates Café — Hyde Park — 1344 Hyde Park Avenue, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Amory Street Café — Jamaica Plain — 125 Amory Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Back of the Hill Café — Jamaica Plain — 100 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Crossroads Café — Jamaica Plain — 633 Centre Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Julia Martin House Café — Jamaica Plain — 90 Bickford Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Nate Smith House Café — Jamaica Plain — 155 Lamartine Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Out4Supper — Jamaica Plain — 301 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Rogerson House Café — Jamaica Plain — 32 Beaufort Road, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Woodbourne Café — Jamaica Plain — 6 Southbourne Road, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• BCYF Mildred Café — Mattapan — 5 Mildred Avenue, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Sant Grandet Café — Mattapan — 525 River Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Nazzaro Café — North End — 30 N. Bennet Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• La Alianza Café — Roxbury — 1000 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Ruggles/Hearth Café — Roxbury — 25 Ruggles Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Walnut Café — Roxbury — 237 Walnut Avenue, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• South Boston Neighborhood House Café — South Boston — 136 H Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Anna Bissonnette House Café — South End — 1640 Washington Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Medeiros Center Café — South End — 1960 Washington Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• TDC Extension Café — South End — 485 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Torre Unidad/Unity Tower Café — South End — 80 West Dedham Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• AABA Village Café — West Roxbury — 18 Cheriton Road, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• AgeWell Café — West Roxbury — 1 Morrell Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗
• Roche Café — West Roxbury — 1716 Centre Street, Boston, MA · (617) 477-6688 · Directions ↗