Hello House for Women in need of updated kitchen
Outdated kitchen design hindering recovery goals
Every day of the year Hello House for Women is making positive strides for its residents. Your support allows Volunteers of America the opportunity to provide the women at our 28 bed residential recovery home opportunities they might not experience anywhere else. Each year between 90 and 120 female alcoholics and drug addicts are admitted to the three to six month individualized program with the goal of reintegrating back into the community as fully functioning sober family members, workers and citizens.
Volunteers of America provides a positive safe and sober environment where new behaviors can be learned and reinforced. The program provides extensive treatment, outreach and follow-up services for many highly disadvantaged women including: ex-offenders, the homeless, persons with HIV/AIDS, veterans with trauma and other women experiencing obstacles to traditional recovery services.
According to Program Director Joanne Coleman, “Meal time in the program can be really difficulty to coordinate. The kitchen and dining area is really difficult for us to properly prepare meals and work on building our community structure.” Coleman adds, “The kitchen and dining areas are not only outdated and poorly designed, but they’re really hindering our ability to use the space in a way that promotes the recovery goals for our clients.” The current kitchen not only suffers from age, but the appliances are designed for single-family use and leave limited counter space for meal prep and restricts dining space. Clients cannot eat meals together and they must frequently sit in the outer hallway to eat at the same time.
The ideal kitchen and dining area would be a “country kitchen”--a large, inviting kitchen with ample area for food prep and eating that encourages shared experience and bonding among all women in the program. Surfaces, storage, equipment and seating are all designed to encourage use of facilities for scheduled sit-down meals. The “country kitchen” experience will allow every resident to contribute to the Hello House community in a learning and supportive environment. Residents will learn the importance of healthy eating as they develop skills to prepare nutritional and affordable meals. This community approach to food will help build confidence and independent living skills.
The new kitchen will teach residents how to prepare tasty and nutritious meals on a budget, cook and eat in a social atmosphere that emphasizes networking and mutual support, build social and living skills that help clients address relapse, promote a culture of recovery and prepare for productive lives in their community. If you are interested in donating to the Hello House for Women kitchen remodel please contact Stephanie Paauwe at 617-390-0228 or by email at spaauwe@voamass.org. No donation is too small.