Mary Hall Freedom Village

T ara Johnson, seven-year manager of the Housing Department for Mary Hall Freedom Village, wasn’t always on this side of the desk. “Mary Hall was a part of my journey because I had a brush with drugs and alcohol, so when I got clean and changed my life, I volunteered by answering the phones, telling my story, and being a guest at the First Step meetings. That’s how I got introduced to Mary Hall. I was a participant in the CTH (Community Transitional Housing) program.” And now she is managing the housing department! Success stories are commonplace at Mary Hall Freedom Village. Tara explained the process: First stop, MaryHall’s intakeConnectionsDepartment, which directs participants to the services they need. “They come with addiction problems to where their lives have become unmanageable, so we teach effective coping skills.” The true first step is for the client to feel listened to and heard. “Everyone has a story; things happen in life. I told my story, now I want to hear theirs.” Clients come in needing recovery, counseling, and employment to move forward. And they need a place to live. That’s where Tara and her team come in. So, what’s it like, managing the housing department? “In the housing department, that’s where the women reside, and where we transport them, take them to 12-step programs, we schedule shopping, laundry, activities, take them to festivals in the park, take them to their place of worship, and we teach them how to enjoy life in recovery.” What about temptation or safety concerns for your housing community in recovery? Tara beams with pride. “Our housing staff does rounds, and we have 24-hour coverage. If they can’t sleep, all our ladies have our numbers they can call, and someone is going to answer.” There are senior clients on the property, perhaps six to nine months sober, who help women who just got there, stay on track. As Tara says, “Each one, teach one.” Part of the healing process is to be of service, to help someone

who is just beginning their journey. “The senior participant came in just as broken as the newcomer but now she’s applying all she’s learned, so she can help the newcomer. Everyone works together—it’s a sisterhood.”

So how do you start the process of housing? “We get them MANAGER TARA JOHNSON of Housing Department