Empowering Women to Find Hope

With an estimated 108,920 alcohol- dependent women in the DFW area, the need for no-cost recovery services is rapidly increasing. The Dallas-Fort Worth area has less than three detox programs that accept women without insurance. The Magdalen House is one. 

With more than 13,000 volunteer hours given in 2017, The Magdalen House was able to fulfill its critical mission of empowering 230 women to find hope in sobriety. The organization provides women with 52 solution-focused meetings; connections to safe, transitional housing; and access to the Peer Recovery Program free of charge. 

“Volunteers save the agency over $106,000 annually,” said Lauren McElroy, Magdalen House Development Manager. “Without our volunteers serving as overnight supervisors, yoga instructors and meeting chairs, we would have to hire those individuals as staff members.” 

The organization created a community of recovered women who donate their free time to help save another woman’s life. Nearly half of the women who complete the 14-day, in-house Social Detox Program come back as volunteers within their first six weeks of sobriety. 

Volunteers, most of whom are also in recovery, assist in every aspect of the program. From leading annual events, to providing administrative support to staff, the Magdalen House volunteers bring a personal touch to each woman’s recovery story. 

“Our volunteer programming is based on one simple philosophy - when one person helps another, they help themselves in the process,” McElroy said.