Women's Facilities
The Cottages provide safe, clean, structured housing for women in recovery. Our family-like environment is warm and welcoming and structured for longer term care. The guests usually stay between three and six months, or even longer. We do not have a maximum length of stay, although we do have a monthly minimum. We like stability in our environment that comes with making a monthly commitment. With only eight women in the home, two per room, there is ample space to start lying the foundation for the new changes in your life. With our loving doggies and each other, you are rarely lonely. Although we do have pets, unfortunately we do not accept pets.
Our Thursday evening Cottages alumni meeting is an open AA Big Book Study and is open to outside women in recovery. We have dinner prior to the meeting and it makes for a fun, fullfilling evening. It starts at 6:00 p.m. and is over around 8:30 p.m. It is a great time for fellowship, a safe place to share recovery and a good place to get a sponsor if you don't have one.
The Cottages also participates in The Hands of Mercy food bank that receives food from quality vendors, so combined with the fresh vegetables, herbs, lemons and avocados, when in season, from the Cottages garden, we have ample house food and many house meals. Eating together is valuable as it creates an intimate time of sharing and union. The girls take turns cooking and cleaning, so as well as "breaking bread" together, they are also learning life skills.
Saturday morning from about 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. is a time for the girls to talk about any issues they are having in the house, how the house can be run more efficiently, as well as how accountable they are with the house rules. It is also the time we come together as a group and work as a team to do chores and clean the house really well to get ready for the following week. Don't worry, if you don't know how to clean, we teach that too. What do they say, " Cleanliness is next to Godliness," or something like that! As well as cleaning on Saturday morning, the girls have a chore to maintain during the week.
What is the cost to live at The Cottages? We are a private organization meaning we are not funded by any outside sources or entities; therefore, there is a cost. The first month at The Cottages is $895 and $795 thereafter. If you move out and back in or leave due to relapse infraction, you have to pay a $100 re-entry fee. Every week at the house meeting, you need to put $5 in the basket for food and house supplies such as coffee, toilet paper, napkins, etc. This amount barely covers expenses. If you are indigent, call 211 as it is a good resource and they can provide you with other options.
So, are The Cottages for you? Yes, The Cottages are structured and challenging because we expect you to follow the rules and to be accountable. Yes, we are serious about recovery and do not tolerate using drugs or alcohol in the house and, yes, we help a lot of women recover from the deadly disease of addiction so they can integrate into society and with their families to, once again, become productive members of society. If this sounds like a good match, please call us at the number below.
