Owned and operated by The Women’s Home, Jane Cizik Garden Place is an apart-ment community where any woman in need can find housing that is affordable, safe, and drug-and alcohol-free to continue her reha-bilitation journey. In an effort to assist the most vulnerable women who are homeless in Houston, The Women’s Home set aside 10 apartment units for those who have ex-perienced chronic bouts of homelessness. Funding from the Rockwell Fund, Inc. for rental assistance makes it possible for these

women to move from shelters directly to their own home.

To make each resident’s transition more comfortable, The Women’s Home asked volunteers to furnish each apartment through the Adopt a Unit project. The as-signment required a blend of creativity and sensitivity, so The Women’s Home and Jane Cizik Garden Place staff developed guide-lines to ensure the women received what was necessary to feel at home. Partnership Board Member Barbara Staley stepped up to the challenge as project leader and sent a call for help to her colleagues. Barbara’s combined skills in real estate and business management allowed her to coordinate the 6-week project effectively with the as-sistance of her cohorts. To her amazement, the outpouring of generosity was huge.

“I sent a call out to a big list of my con-tacts, and from there, it mushroomed,” Barbara said. “I discovered it was easier to get people involved by having a short-term project with an end in sight.”

Fellow realtors and home stagers were eager to take out their color swatches and sketch a design plan. Ten teams assembled, including members from The Partnership and Young Professionals as well as help-ing hands from the West University Rotary Club, Greenwood King Realtors, and The Bristow Group. Each crew appointed a cap-tain to assign tasks and develop a donation

wish list. Participants developed a sense of pride

in their work and took ownership of their units. Most teams decorated their units two weeks prior to the big event, proving, as Barbara laughingly attests, “when you un-leash a woman to decorate a home, you get more than you bargain for.”

Volunteers pulled out their pocket-books and recruited resources all over town to complete the job. A major contribution came from Brighton Homes who graciously

contributed enough furniture to fill an onsite warehouse. Barbara’s husband, Mike Staley, phoned his friends and se-cured 10 brand new LCD TVs, one for each apartment.

Clear blue skies welcomed visitors at the Adopt a Unit Day and Open House on March 3. Teams added finishing touches to their designated spaces, hanging pic-tures and mirrors, arranging lighting, and organizing the food pantry and warehouse. Adding to the festivities, Barbara and Sonny Vaughn treated everyone to a savory BBQ lunch courtesy of Billy Kueschner.

Volunteers and guests had an oppor-tunity to meet tenants at Jane Cizik Garden Place and tour the newly furnished apart-ments together. The transformed units inspired tenants with ideas on how to beautify their apartments.

The Women’s Home thanks all the friends and supporters participating in the success of Adopt a Unit Day. The first resident settled in her furnished apartment and 5 additional units have scheduled move in dates.

Stay involved with future volunteer opportunities by contacting Karen McDonell, Manager of Volunteer Servic-es and Community Outreach at 713-328-1950 or kmcdonell@thewomenshome.org.

Volunteers Beautify Ten Apartments on Adopt a Unit Day

I sent a call out to a big list of my contacts, and from there, it mushroomed...

From Top: (L to R) Barbara Staley, Alyssa Weller and Dona Holland; One of the beautiful units after Decoration Day; Shay James and Alejandro Herdocia delivering home accents; Kathleen Camper, Heather Davis, Barbara Fraser and Karen Holleyhead enjoying a newly decorated unit.

Jane Cizik Garden Place is a unique sober living community for women on a modest income. When a tenant needs assistance with employment, continuing education, financial plan-ning, and medical and mental health resources, she comes to Cayman Ti-rado, the facility’s case counselor. Cayman provides case management, crisis counseling and coordinates enrichment activities. Her goal is to help tenants remain stable, sober, and healthy while living in a peaceful, friendly atmosphere.

“Some women have devastating circumstances surrounding their ar-

rival at Jane Cizik Garden Place,” Cayman said. They appreciate their apartment’s safety and the supportive services we offer.” Each woman receives client-cen-tered services based on her individual circumstances. One woman may at-tend a parenting class with hopes of returning to her child one day; anoth-er may attend a course on financial lit-eracy where she learns how to manage a budget. Tenants can ask questions, share their concerns, and hear prop-erty updates and upcoming events during the Community Conversations hosted monthly.

Helping women help themselves is the most rewarding aspect of Cay-man’s job. “I love connecting women to the resources they didn’t know ex-isted,” she said. “It’s like putting the puzzle pieces together. I like seeing it all come together, seeing the women flourish.” For more information about Jane Cizik Garden Place, contact Josephine Escobedo, Property Manager, at 713-328-1976 or jescobedo@thewomen-shome.org.

homefrontthe Women’s Home

Jane Cizik Garden Place Offers Tenants More Than a Place to Live

Summer 2012Volume 8, Issue I

Cayman Tirado

T h i s i s s u e o f H o m e F r o n t celebrates the new look of The Women’s Home. We worked with Edelman Public Relations, one of the premier public relations firms in the country, to develop a new logo and key messaging. We wanted our new look to be bold, reflecting our success and future growth. We needed it to have wide appeal, reflecting our efforts to be inclusive. I believe we achieved both goals.

Our new branding is just the beginning of changes to come. This fall we will unveil a new website, designed to share the successes of our treatment and transitional housing program in

a more comprehensive format. Our Board of Directors approved a five to seven year strategic plan and appointed a capital expan-sion task force. The task force has been charged with two important responsibilities: determining how The Women’s Home will utilize the two acres that are adjacent to Jane Cizik Garden Place and iden-tifying who we will serve in our new apartment complex. Will we continue to serve single women or broaden our housing services to women and their families?

For me, success is knowing that one of our residents taught her young adult daughter how to use our WholeLife Model. On

both our campuses, our model helps women accomplish goals in six wellness areas; emotional, spiritual, physical, social, vocational and fiscal. Imagine an even great-er population attaining emotional stability, social support, stable housing and income. Imagine more women building new lives, completing the circle of their transformation, becoming whole. Imagine.

Message from the Executive DirectorPaula Paust, MSW

Established in honor of our founder Mrs. W.E. Sampson, The Samp-son Society recognizes individuals who further the lives of others by making a gift to The Women’s Home through their will or living trust. Beyond providing a testimony of stewardship, bequest gifts offer tax benefits to the donor and supplement major annual giving on a deep-er level. Donors who participate in our program are of all ages and incomes. Becoming a member of The Sampson Society ensures the vitality of The Women’s Home beyond your years – the most enduring commitment you can make to building whole lives for our residents today and tomorrow.

One easy way to leave your legacy is by designating The Women’s Home as a beneficiary of your IRA or 401K. This can be done by re-questing a change of beneficiary and by naming The Women’s Home as a beneficiary in your will or living trust. Following is a sample of the language typically used in a bequest:

If you have already included The Women’s Home as a beneficiary of your will, a trust, IRA, 401K or life insurance policy, please let us know so that we can include you in our membership.

For more information on planned giving or to inform us of a planned gift, contact Marcia Tapp, Director of Resource Development 713.328.1975 or mtapp@thewomenshome.org.

We would like to thank Harris County Community Services Department for their on-going support.

2011 Leadership Circle

$10,000 to $24,999 - ($10,000.00 + )Louise & Vincent Foster Jeanie KilroyLinda J. Messner Karen & Joe ReddenKim G. Yelton

$5,000 to $9,999($5,000.00 + )Shirley & Bubba CoskeyDebbie & William DeLaneyJane & William JoplinCarolyn KeatingSue Alexander MorrisonNancy PadfieldAdele & Ber PieperDiane & John RileyJule & Albert SmithJune & Virgil Waggoner

$2,500 to $4,999($2,500.00 + )Orla and John BourqueAlden ClarkLeigh EvansKaren & Larry GeorgeSusan and Thomas V. McMahanDeanne NoelDiana Strassmann & Jeff SmisekLaura A. White

$1,000 to $2,499($1,000.00 + )Susan Ann BaileyDeborah Bay & Edgar BrowningPaige & Saul Ben-YaacovDeborah Parks & Mark BouzekSara Dodd-Spickelmier & Keith SpickelmierNanette & Jerry FingerLinda & Robert FlesherPaulette & Terence FrederickLotty GautschiCindy & Joseph GonzalezAnna Grassini & John T. McDevittMrs. Austin E. GreauxLaurie & Alfredo GutierrezBarbara & Ulyesse LeGrangeIrene Liberatos & Michael WestergrenMelinda & William Gary LittlepagePenny & Paul LoydMary Lynch & Scott EngerLinda McFaddenSarah & Jeff McParlandThan-Nhi Nguyen & Stuart MoffittSusan & J.D. PermenterJ’Anne & Jeff RawsonChris & Russell H. Reese, IIIJo ReidVirginia Young Reper, Ph.D.Ruby & Alan RiedelCarol Lee RobertsonIsabel B. WilsonMickie WinbornGrant Woodard

The Sampson Society You Can Leave A Living Legacy

The Leadership Circle recognizes those supporters who commit to ensure a robust charitable base for our work. Members of The Leadership Circle annually contribute from $1,000 to $10,000. This gift is above and beyond participating in the golf tournament, the gala, and other events and signifies their dedication to helping homeless women in our community live a life fulfilled.

I, (name), of (city, state, ZIP), give, devise and bequeath toThe Women’s Home, 607 Westheimer, Houston, TX 77006,(written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property) for its unrestricted use and purpose.

We recognize Paige K. Ben-Yaacov of Baker Botts L.L.P. for her enor-mous contribution to the formation of The Sampson Society. Paige has assisted with creating new website materials for our potential donors, including financial forms that help you manage your account. She has served on the Board of Directors since 2010, making quite an impact with her service.

We recognize Paige K. Ben-Yaacov of Baker Botts L.L.P. for her enormous contribution to the formation of The Sampson Society. Paige has assisted with creating new website materials for our potential donors, including financial forms that help you manage your account. She has served on the Board of Directors since 2010, making quite an impact with her service.

I entered The Women’s Home with a double diagnosis: major depression and chemical dependency on prescription painkillers. I felt broken and lonely at the end of my addiction. I kept my hair pulled in a pony tail and wore a sad ex-pression to match. Nevertheless, the ad-missions coordinator warmly welcomed me. Shortly afterward, everyone was treating me like family. Since then, the entire staff has made me feel like I will never feel alone again.

One of the requirements of The Women’s Home is that residents complete vocational training at The Cottage Thrift Shop. During this training I learned how to operate a cash register for the first time. Under the instruction of Shelley Bridges,

who manages The Shop, I learned valuable skills in customer service to prepare me for working on the floor. My experience at The Shop provided the reference I need-ed to land a job at a

retail store. There is little difference be-tween work at the Cottage Thrift Shop and working at my job, except now I earn a wage. I work in the jewelry department. Selling to the public has its challenges, but I know how to handle them due to the hands-on training The Cottage Thrift Shop gave me. I’ve been awarded several “Star Cards” from the managers at work for exceptional customer service. I’m proud of that. The Women’s Home can provide us with the resources we need, but we must trust the process and work for our success. We may not see the immediate benefits of doing chores or working at the Cottage Thrift Shop, but as the process starts to unfold, it all comes together. Trusting the process is what I call the “lather, rinse, repeat” approach in ther-

apy, which means if you practice a healthy routine each day and have faith, you will reap good results. My father taught me that “Successful people are in the habit of doing good things over and over.” This applies not only to business but to recov-ery as well. I really love my life today. I may have less money than I have ever had before, but I am happy. The networking skills I gained through vocational training helped me discover a new position work-ing as an assistant to a nationally known and well respected family medicine and addiction doctor. I look forward to calling Jane Cizik Garden Place my new home when I graduate. My children and I are back in touch and my daughter is expecting my first grandchild. My goal is to use the skills I have gained and become a Recov-ery Coach one day. This dream to pay it forward would not has happened if not for The Women’s Home. Everyone – from the counselors, to the support staff, to my fellow sisters – has inspired me to believe no matter the storm, I can endure. I will prevail. I am not alone. I am enough.

Julie Rebuilds Job Skills At The Cottage Thrift Shop

TRUSTING THE PROCESS:

re•Newre•Dux

and

TIME TO CLEAN

OUTYOUR

CLOSETFor more information about making a donation or scheduling pickups,

contact Shelley Bridges sbridges@thewomenshome.org

or 713-328-1957.

re•New and re•Dux Style Show

Save the Date:Thursday Evening

September 13, 2012

Generously hosted by:Morton Kuehnert

Auctioneers & Appraisers

Cottage Thrift Store Prepares Clients For WorkforceMost clients who work at The Cottage Thrift Shop will never seek a job in retail upon graduation, yet one thing is for certain: each woman will have to work with people. Manager Shelley Bridges reinforces this to the women when she teaches the fundamentals of customer service and front desk etiquette.

Vocational training at The Cottage Shop helps clients gain transferrable skills in:

• Interpersonal communications,• customer service, • conflict resolution, • organization, and• time management.

Shelley worked diligently with Julie – as she does with each resident – and witnessed her progress from a part-time employee to obtaining a fulltime position with benefits.

“When clients resist completing the steps to vocational training, I tell them to talk to Julie,” Shelley said. “Initially Julie was hesitant to work at the shop, but now she realizes it was the perfect stepping stone for reach-ing her career goals.”

“It’s so wonderful seeing how much healthier she looks,” Shelley said. “She has a glow. She’s truly happy.”

who manages The Shop, I learned valuable skills in customer service to prepare me for working on the floor. My experience at The Shop provided

retail store. There is little difference between work at the Cottage Thrift Shop

Julie Rebuilds Job Skills At The Cottage Thrift Shop

TRUSTING THE PROCESS:

P R E S EN TS

W I T HLPGA PLAYERSINVITATIONAL

M E N ’ S & W O M E N ’ S

THE

Over 200 golfers and 50 volunteers enjoyed the spring beauty at the historic Champions Golf Club on April 9. Carol Mann, World Golf Hall of Fame champion, again lent her name to the tournament and invited friends Nancy Lopez, Donna Caponi and several current LPGA touring pros to join in the fun. This year’s surprise was Long Drive Champion, Jamie Sadlowski, who wowed the amateur players with his amazing 400+ yard drives, over and over. The event raised $196,000 of funding for the programs of The Home. Congrats to chairs Kay Joyce and Janice Hall for an incredible success.

SPECIAL THANKSHOLE-IN-ONETarga Resources Corporation

EAGLEJohn P. McGovern FoundationWilliams

BIRDIEKay and René JoyceEd ParkerPrimary ServicesTSA, Inc.

PARAdmiral Transfer and Rigging, Inc.Beck, Redden & Secrest, LLPCindy and Robert BlevinsRobin and Joe CunninghamEnbridgeMartin Harris ConstructionKristen and Steve McDaniel

John Irvine/Porter Hedges, LLPPricewaterhouseCoopers LLPJ’Anne RawsonJeff RawsonTop Threading ServicesThe Willis GroupWortham Insurance & Risk Management

The Women’s Home is honored to have been chosen as an official charity of the 2012-2013 Chevron Houston Marathon Run for a Reason Program. Help us build whole lives by running for The Home in the 2013 Chevron Houston Mara-thon or Aramco Houston Half Marathon – race registration opens 06-06-12. For more information please visit - www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com or contact Bethany Fields at 713-328-1951 or bfields@thewomenshome.org.

The crawfish were big and bountiful for guests attending the Second Annual Sunday Funday Crawfish Boil benefiting The Women’s Home on April 1. Three hundred people paraded through the Firehouse Saloon and were treated buffet-style to 1,200 lbs of steaming spicy crawfish, corn on the cob and potatoes. The afternoon featured live music by Libby Koch, Brant Lee Croucher and The Trishas. With the help of event chairs Semmes Burns, Megan Hotze, Jessica Sanders and Will Schorp, The Women’s Home Young Professionals successfully raised $20,000 to assist residents in building whole lives. Special thanks also goes to Marie Flanigan, Marty Lanc-ton, Sidney Laurentz, Rachel Lopez, Courtney and Jeff Lyons, Sommer Pool, Eileen Sims, Lande Spottswood and Ashley Yates for serving as host committee members.

The Women’s HomeYoung Professionals

Raise $20K at Crawfish Boil

Ginger glazed Scottish salmon, citrus grilled pork ten-derloin, meatballs and sautéed peppers — the words make your mouth water. They are samples of the fresh, healthy meals Snap Kitchen delivers daily since partner-ing with The Women’s Home this year. Explaining why Snap Kitchen selected The Home as its charity, Store Manager Jenny College says, “It’s important to our own-ers to donate to people who want to eat healthy.” Their mantra, “Eat right. Feel Great, Live well.” fits perfectly with The Home’s goal of helping residents achieve phys-ical well being as part of its WholeLife program. Several fast food chains cluster within blocks of the Montrose campus, but when the Snap Kitchen van arrives, the women choose Snap’s nutritious delectables. Says one resident, “I just love the variety of their menu; one day it might be Mediterranean, the next day it’s Italian. The food is so delicious, and it’s excellent for my diet!” The next time you’re looking for a bite to eat near the Upper Kirby or Memorial Park area, remember our eco-friendly neighbor. Snap Kitchen chefs are commit-ted to bringing customers flavorful food that’s organic and local. The Women’s Home is extremely grateful for their daily contributions.We hope you will find their meals as tasty too! For more information, visit their website at www.snapkitchen.com or call 713-526-5700.

YouTube sensation Ted Williams headlined the Lester and Sue Smith Series on May 23, 2012 at the Intercontinental Hotel as part of his national book tour. His new memoir, A Golden Voice: How Faith, Hard Work, and Humility Brought Me from the Streets to Salvation, is a message about hope, redemption and second chances that he spoke em-phatically to an audience of 300. Award-winning journalist Melanie Lawson of Channel 13 served as emcee.

The Women’s Home sold out of 250 copies of A Golden Voice as guests were eager to meet Williams and have him sign their books. The fundraiser gar-nered over $56,000, enabling more women to build whole lives.

Williams was charismatic, funny, and sin-cere during his conversation about his recovery from drug addiction, homelessness and his second chance at radio success after a reporter discovered him panhandling on the Columbus, OH interstate. He admitted that at the time he recorded the video that went viral, he had no idea about YouTube; the next day he was on a plane to offer his gifted voice on the Today Show and reunite with his mother af-ter 20 years.

One year later he celebrates the anniversary of his sobriety with Coach Eric Harding as he shares his story with the world. At a private reception at Jane Cizik Garden Place, Williams spoke candidly with clients about his healing process and encour-aged the women to take their journey one day at a time. We are especially thankful to our presenting sponsor, Wells Fargo and President of Wells Fargo – Houston Region, Glenn Godkin, for making this event possible. Save the date for the next Lester and Sue Smith Luncheon Series on October 31 featuring best-selling author Brené Brown.

Snap Kitchen Keeps Residents Healthyand Happy At The Home

1. Raise awareness about homelessness. 2. Honor a loved one. 3. Give back to the community. 4. Help people who are in real need. 5. Train with other passionate runners

6. Impact a life. 7. Make a difference.8. Motivate others to join your cause. 9. Support a great cause. 10. It feels good!

Top Ten Reasons to Run for The Women’s Home:

Lester & Sue SmithLuncheon Serieswith Ted Williams

Right: Lester and Sue Smith with

Ted Williams.

Left: Glenn Godkin, Ted Williams and Karen Marti

Upcoming EventsreNew and reDux Style Show September 13Morton Kuhenert Auctioneers & Appraisers

Volunteer Appreciation Reception October 31

Lester and Sue Smith Luncheon Series October 31featuring Brené Brown

The Women’s Home Annual Gala November 16InterContinental Houston

607 WestheimerHouston, Texas 77006-3915

www.thewomenshome.com

phone: 713-328-1975

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Use your mobile device to join our email list. Check the box next to your interests and choose the emails you wish to receive.

Cheryl had made it. After years of working in cor-porate America, she was promoted to an executive position at a Fortune 500 company. She enjoyed her fast-paced career. She managed people and proj-ects. She gave motivating speeches in classrooms and boardrooms. Her colleagues admired her abil-ity to accomplish huge tasks with confidence and ease. But on the inside, Cheryl suffered. She grap-pled with unpredictable low and high moods and could not explain her prolonged sadness. The smallest problems became insurmountable. Work overwhelmed her to the point that she wanted to quit. For a long while, she had mastered disguising her turmoil. Those days were over. “I’m a person who likes to dress nicely and wear makeup,” Cheryl said. “When I was severely depressed, I would put on more and more make up to cover the pain.” The white-collar life so familiar to her came to a halt in her 30s when she was hospitalized. Doctors diagnosed Cheryl with bipolar depression disorder, putting a name to the illness that mystified her for a lifetime. “I had symptoms of depression as a child, but my family and I never knew what it was,” Cheryl said. After moving in with her aging parents and be-coming their primary caregiver, Cheryl’s condition deteriorated. Stress at home compounded her dis-

ease, yet she feared she could never live on her own again. She wanted peace but had no place to go. Cheryl found help at the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance and the Fort Bend Center for Independent Living. Both programs empowered her to trust in herself and the recovery process to reclaim the life of independence she desired. An employee at the Fort Bend Center for Independent Living encouraged her to visit Jane Cizik Garden Place, a sober permanent housing community for single women with modest incomes or those who are homeless due to mental illness and addiction. She went to an open house and knew that she would call it home one day. “Everything here – from the seemingly minor details – is so beautiful,” Cheryl said. “The place speaks for itself.” Since last November, Cheryl is living happily and self-sufficiently at Jane Cizik Garden Place and plans to use her public speaking skills to inspire residents in transitional housing at The Women’s Home. Cheryl’s experience testifies that a worth-while life of interdependence within a community of courageous women is attainable. She feels grate-ful coming home to a secure, comfortable apart-ment she can proudly call her own. Each morning as she drinks a cup of coffee and looks across her balcony to the meditation garden, she takes it all in, realizing she has arrived.

Home is Where the Story Begins

Staff Editor: Jennifer Watson, Communications ManagerPhotographers: Kim Coffman, Kai Freund, Roswitha Vogler, Priscilla DicksonDesign by Squidz Ink Design

Because of your generous support, Cheryl’s story is possible

PRSRT STDU.S. POSAGE

PAIDHOUSTON, TX

PERMIT NO. 7338