Crittenton, Inc.
Crittenton, Inc. was a Boston, Massachusetts–based non-profit organization whose mission was to help young people develop the essential tools that they need to maintain stable housing, find and retain employment, and support the healthy growth of their families. Overview Crittenton, Inc. was the product of a merger between two pioneering women’s rights societies of the late 19th century; the Boston Female Moral Reform Society and the Florence Crittenton Home. Both organizations had similar goals in assisting poor and unwed mothers and ultimately worked together to help these women achieve economic independence. New England Moral Reform Society Originally the Boston Female Moral Reform Society, this organization was established in 1824, when a group of women came together to provide shelter and moral guidance to troubled young girls. Since the organization had no building, the Society’s members brought the unwed young mothers into their own homes. Their peers were shocked, and some ministers denounced them for being “unwomanly” and for daring to face the unpleasant realities of life. For the next 45 years, the Society grew as it concentrated its efforts on rescuing young women from the streets and continuing its crusade against liquor and prostitution. In 1869, the organization changed its