Soroptimist House of Hope
In 1981, the Soroptimist House of Hope, Inc. became the area’s first substance abuse disorder recovery facility for women in Riverside County’s Coachella Valley. There were five other area treatment sites at that time, but none had a treatment program exclusively for women. Riverside County was then known as the methamphetamine capital of the U.S., and local area Soroptimist clubs were well aware of the need to help women addicts. Ten local area clubs of Soroptimist Golden West Region decided to take on this project.
For many women, their addictions landed them in jail. They were losing custody of children, and destroying relationships with spouses, parents, siblings and friends. When these women were released, their substance abuse disorders had to be addressed. With no government assistance, the ten local Soroptimist clubs raised sufficient funds to establish and begin to operate the first recovery home for women in September 1981. This recovery home was based on a 12-Step treatment program.
A 4-bedroom house was purchased in Desert Hot Springs where the program is still delivered in a residential, family-style environment to a maximum of six recovery clients. The ten Soroptimist clubs named this facility the “House of Hope.”
In 1984 the County of Riverside Department of Mental Health recognized the stability and success of the recovery program and requested four beds be designated for county clients which they partially funded. Their monitoring of the House operation with excellent inspection results and recognizing the treatment program’s success, has enabled a continued partial funding of the program on an annual contract basis since 1987. The current client successful completion rate from the 45-day treatment program is stable at a 60th percentile.
A second 4-bedroom house was purchased in Banning in 1989 to provide housing for graduates of the Soroptimist House of Hope’s 45-day treatment program, or graduates of similar recovery programs. Many women have nowhere to go after treatment and would otherwise be homeless, as they typically have no income. As clients cannot return to their previous environment after graduating from recovery, our Hope’s Horizons transitional living house was established in response to that need. It is there, in a safe and nurturing environment, that clients are able to get their lives back on track with continued sobriety.
From that early beginning, House of Hope and Hope’s Horizons have helped several thousand women since 1981. We raise funds from a wide variety of sources including local donations from private individuals and corporations, government contracts, corporate and foundation grants, fundraising events, and some pledges tithing by local Soroptimist clubs. Soroptimist House of Hope is an independent non-profit organization. Even though we proudly carry the Soroptimist name, we are not affiliated or subsidized in whole or in part by the National or International Soroptimist organizations.