Friday, April 16, 2010

SISTERHOUSE: A New Direction

By Glenance Green

    SISTERHOUSE began as a vision. In 1982, School Sister of Notre Dame Anne Mayer cultivated that vision on her mission to proclaim the good news. Sister Anne, along with Margaret Traxler and Gladys Schmitt, had spent years volunteering at Cook County Jail and Dwight Correctional Center, and from their experience were able to identify the community necessity for a safe haven for women being released from prison.
    These resilient women knew how important it is to enable people to reach the fullness of their potential. Their experiences with the recently released inmates made them aware that in order to really have a monumental impact on women’s lives, they needed to provide a positive and nurturing environment. The slogan of SISTERHOUSE is: Recovery is Possible!
    Committed to this goal, they responded to the varying needs of the West Side community of Austin as the parish convent at Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church became available. Recognizing that there was more work to be done in the community, SISTERHOUSE developed a mission to provide focused, long-term services to women seeking recovery from substance abuse. In 1983, SISTERHOUSE celebrated its first anniversary with an open house, which became an annual celebration of recovery.
    Today, SISTERHOUSE is a faith-oriented recovery home for women located on the West Side of Chicago in the community of Austin. SISTERHOUSE provides housing and support services for women seeking to restore their lives from the perils of substance abuse.

For information on SISTERHOUSE services for women, to contribute or volunteer, call 773/626-0525.

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