‘This place helped me find me’: In Morgan County, Stability First is helping women rebuild their lives

Jami walked out of jail with nothing but a bag of clothes and hygiene items and made a call to Magdalene House.

It had been a long road to get there: A military veteran, Jami had struggled with drugs, lost custody of her two sons, went to jail, then rehab, then jail again – although this time sober. She’d tried Magdalene House, a women’s shelter in Martinsville, before but left because she wasn’t ready.

Now in June 2020, though, she was.

Another nonprofit put her in a hotel for the night, and she fell asleep praying Magdalene House had an open bed. The next morning, she got the news: There was a spot for her.

For nine months, Magdalene House became her home, the place where she’d find stable footing, start to heal and grow.

“I felt God’s presence the moment I walked in,” Jami said. “I felt like some of the women are going through the same thing that I'm going through, and this is where we lean on each other. … It was like nothing else I have ever experienced. I felt like I belonged there.”

Founded in 2015, the nonprofit Stability First aims to address poverty, homelessness and addiction in Martinsville and Morgan County. Its Magdalene House, a 16-bed facility for women, opened six years ago and takes a holistic approach to helping women build a stable foundation and the skills they need to thrive – based on their individual needs. It provides a safe, calm, structured and loving environment to help people get on their feet and rebuild, “one step at a time,” said Rick Miller, founder and executive director.

“We want to do more than just feed them or give them a place to stay,” he said. “We want to look at every aspect of their life and help them.”

Several years ago, Stability First worked with United Way of Central Indiana on capacity building and in early 2022 became an accredited community organization. Accreditation allows nonprofits to apply for United Way grants and access training, assistance and programs to grow their organizations.

“That’s been a great blessing because (United Way has) been right there for us on several occasions,” Miller said.

Stability First has received United Way technology funds for a security system and staff laptops, and a $40,000 grant from the Basic Needs Fund in June 2022 has helped support Magdalene House.

Stability First also partnered with Home Bank to establish the Better Communities Coalition, a group of nonprofits – including United Way – that works to address a lack of affordable housing, mental health services and transportation in the county.

A minister in the community for 28 years, Miller decided to start Stability First after noticing a need. He led a weekly Bible study at a men’s shelter and realized that without an exit strategy – without staffing, programming and a plan – it was impossible for the men to reach stability. It became a “burden in my heart” to do something, Miller said.

Miller and his team opened Magdalene House for women first. There were shelters for families and domestic violence survivors in the community – but nothing for individual, single women.

Since opening, Magdalene House has helped around 600 women. And a 16-bed men’s shelter – called Foundations House – is currently in the works. Miller hopes it’ll open by mid-2024.

At Magdalene House, women stay for 90 days up to two years. The program isn’t cookie-cutter – individualized plans are created for each person – and focuses on five areas: spiritual strength, sobriety, finances, life skills and relationships.

Every woman comes through the door looking for a bed, but they also carry with them invisible luggage: PTSD, trauma, substance use. Magdalene House helps them unpack that and start to heal, giving them the tools they need, said Robin Wonnell, Stability First’s operations director.

The women are assigned chores, eat dinners together and pay a fee once they’ve landed jobs as a way of preparing them for rental payments outside Magdalene House. Residents also are invited to assemble and sew canvas handbags – called Maggie Bags – alongside community volunteers. Stability First sells the purses, with proceeds going to support Magdalene House.

Several women who once lived there now work on staff, just one example of the ministry’s impact, Miller said.

For Jami, Magdalene House provided a structure she craved from the military. Sher served nearly a decade in the Ohio Army National Guard as a mechanic, including a 13-month deployment in Afghanistan.

At Magdalene House, she completed Bible study, therapy, finance coaching, the DETOUR substance abuse recovery program and an Intensive Outpatient Treatment program. She got a new job and worked with the other women on learning mindfulness and coping skills.

“I was lost when I came in,” Jami said. Slowly, working through all the steps, “I found my self-worth and was able to grow and find who Jami was and be a better mom.”

She finished at Magdalene House in February 2021. Today, she’s been sober over three years. She got promoted at work – the longest job she’s had besides the Army. She lives on her own and manages her finances, an independence she’s never known before. And she’s gaining back trust with her two sons.

“This place helped me find me – and save my life.” Jami said. “I know I wouldn’t be sitting right here if it wasn’t for coming through those doors.”

On Thursday nights, Jami returns to the jail where she once served time to help lead a recovery support group. She shows the women there’s life on the other side of addiction and “shines light that there’s hope.” And she often visits Magdalene House to share her story and talk with the residents and staff, whom she calls her “house moms.”

“Every time I walk in there,” she said, “I know it’s my home.”

This story appeared in United Way of Central Indiana’s 2022-2023 annual report. For more stories of impact, view the full report online.