We had a lot to celebrate this month at Magdalene. One of our residents celebrated one year of sobriety, while another resident celebrated 100 days clean and sober! Our newest resident earned her key to the house and another resident will receive a $1,200 match for saving $1,200 dollars in her savings account. She will use these funds to put a down payment on a car.
Did you know that many of our residents are now employed and working between 20-40 hours per week? Our residents are working in hospitality, behavioral health, food service, and the social service sector. When not working, residents participate in individual and group activities to prepare them for independent living. We are so proud of everything our residents are accomplishing!
Purple Lane
This summer our residents participated in a summer no-tap bowling league sponsored by ARCOM. We placed 11th in the league and won a total of $136. We used our winnings to buy movie tickets and enjoyed an afternoon together
From the Residents
What is the best part of living at Magdalene Serenity House?
• Being part of a family
• Rediscovering who I am
• Finding a whole new way to live
• I am no longer afraid
Horse Sense
Every week residents have the privilege of going to Courage Therapeutic Riding Center for equine therapy. This program helps residents build self-confidence, accountability, self-control, empathy, and problem-solving skills. We are thankful for this partnership and love working with the beautiful horses.
Volunteer Potluck
Residents, staff, and volunteers celebrated with a potluck on August 12th at the house. BBQ was provided by Wright’s BBQ where one of our residents works. Volunteers are a vital part of MSH. They provide countless hours of transportation and support to staff. We could not do this work without them.
Community Support
This month our team met with the Alpha Chi Omega sorority to tell them about Magdalene Serenity House and recruit volunteers. We have also welcomed three interns.Jessica and Ashley are MSW social work students and Madeline is a Marketing student. We are excited to have them on our team and are thankful for our community partnerships!
Volunteer Spotlight
Volunteer of the Month
Our September volunteer of the month is Caroline! She provides yoga lessons each week for our residents. Not only is yoga fantastic exercise, but it is also a time for the residents to meditate, relax, and build self-esteem. Thank you for all you do, Caroline!
Want to get more involved? Give your time by volunteering directly with Magdalene. For more information please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at liz@lovehealsnwa.org
Thank You and Farewell
During the summer, former Chancellor Dave Gearhart offered our board a workshop in planning for the future, especially from the perspective of sustainable funding. About the same time, we realized that our community has so embraced the women of our program that we do not need to create a social enterprise business. Our women have excellent jobs with good futures.
Seeing those realities Amy and Lowell talked about the leadership needs for a sustainable future. Amy was ready to move into a new chapter in her life. Magdalene Serenity House needs to call a full-time Director of Development. Amy decided to make September 15th her last day of work and the Board expresses their gratitude to her invaluable leadership in getting Magdalene off the ground and flying.
With these changes in motion, Carolyn Bates talked with Lowell and Suzanne, and she is ready to launch into her new life with potential for reconnecting more deeply with her family. Carolyn has been at the heart of Magdalene’s founding, and we are eternally grateful to her.
April Bachrodt will continue to run the day-to-day program with help from part-time staff and interns. The Board will pick up new responsibilities. Our goal is to continue the fine program we have begun and to place it on a sound, sustainable financial foundation.