She lost her job to the ravages of substance abuse. When she completed a residential treatment program, she had no money and no immediate prospects. The YWCA took her in, for a small fee.
The YWCA "Women in Residence" program offers transitional housing to women who have come from a structured environment such as drug and alcohol treatment or who are low-income displaced homemakers.According to Julie Lueders, coordinator of the program, it's making a difference to 16 women right now - and there's room for five more.
Sometimes women need to change their lives but they're not in a financial position to do it, Lueders said. For $175 to $360 a month, based on income, the women can have a private room, 14 meals a week, utilities and access to a phone, individual counseling, advocacy, crisis intervention, case management, legal assistance and coordination with other programs and services. The women share a dining area and bathroom facilities.
In exchange, the women pay rent and are required to work on at least two self-sufficiency goals.
For information on the program, call 355-2804.