Friends of Guest House
| WISH LIST $100: 1 week of
discounted groceries for 10 residents;
$650: 1 month of utility bills for
a group home; $1000: drug testing
equipment for 6 months |
More than 2,000 women are incarcerated in Virginia prisons and another 2,400
in local and regional jails. Many have no safe place to live when they are
released, and most need help to achieve self-sufficiency. And then there are the
children: 70% of incarcerated women have one child or more under the age of
18 and they need support and training to become dependable parents. Guest
House helps these women become responsible, productive members of the community. The residential program
serves up to ten non-violent, female ex-offenders who live in a group home setting for four months. They find
employment, learn life-skills (financial management, fitness, conflict resolution), build support systems, repair
personal relationships, and secure housing – while working full time. An aftercare program is required for 6 to 9
months to ensure that clients continue to receive the support they need. A new outreach program will reach even
more women and their children. Since 1974, when Friends of Guest House was founded, it has served over 900
non-violent, female ex-offenders. What’s the alternative?
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