The Peabody Companies and Women’s Lunch Place Earn Community Collaborator Honors from the Boston Business Journal
BRAINTREE, BOSTON, MA: The Peabody Companies, a group of award-winning property management and real estate firms now celebrating its 50th anniversary, proudly announces that its partnership with Women’s Lunch Place, a Boston-based resource for women facing homelessness, hunger, and poverty, has been named a 2026 Community Collaborator honoree by the Boston Business Journal.
The organizations will be recognized for the exceptional innovation and service demonstrated through their partnership during the BBJ’s Corporate Citizenship Awards program on September 16th.
The Peabody Companies’ ongoing relationship with Women’s Lunch Place began in 2024, rooted in a shared commitment to support women experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. At the center of the collaboration is a 65-bed shelter-to-housing program that has become a powerful example of the good that results when nonprofit and private-sector expertise align around a mutual mission.
The Peabody Companies leveraged its decades of affordable housing and property management expertise to create a master lease and operational support model for the shelter-to-housing program, allowing Women’s Lunch Place leadership and staff to focus on resident services with the peace of mind that compliance oversight, property operations, and long-term stability are in the hands of a trusted mission-aligned partner.
The collaboration between The Peabody Companies and Women’s Lunch Place extends beyond housing operations. In 2025, Women’s Lunch Place CEO Jennifer Hanlon Wigon delivered the keynote address at The Peabody Companies’ annual meeting, providing more than 640 employees with a firsthand understanding of the challenges faced by women experiencing homelessness. Following her presentation, Peabody employees assembled 180 handbags filled with toiletries, nonperishable food items, and other essential supplies for distribution to Women’s Lunch Place guests.
The partnership has also inspired individual acts of service. In 2026, Peabody team member Kaeleen Price completed her first Boston Marathon in support of Women’s Lunch Place, raising $26,891 for the organization. Price’s involvement stemmed directly from her work in advancing housing initiatives through the Peabody-Women’s Lunch Place affiliation.
“Our partnership with Women’s Lunch Place reflects the very best of what can happen when mission-driven organizations come together with a shared purpose,” said Melissa Fish-Crane, principal and CEO of The Peabody Companies. “This recognition from the Boston Business Journal affirms the power of our alliance and underscores the importance of collaborations that put people first.”
“With The Peabody Companies’ support, our shelter-to-housing program has become a model for how thoughtful partnerships can change lives,” said Jennifer Hanlon Wigon, CEO of Women’s Lunch Place. “This acknowledgement from the Boston Business Journal is a tribute to the women we support each and every day.”
The Peabody Companies and Women’s Lunch Place will be celebrated, along with other Community Collaborator honorees, at the Boston Business Journal’s Corporate Citizenship Awards, on September 16th at Big Night Live in Boston.
