By Sondra Wildman
August 18, 2008
Workers painted eaves and hammered cedar siding most of the summer, renewing the exterior of the two-story gabled house that stands on a grassy knoll at the corner of Oak Street and Ninth Avenue, in Spokane, Washington. But the trim façade of the home and the quiet, tree-lined neighborhood belie the disrupted lives of the women who reside there. This house is called Miryam's House, and it provides refuge for women seeking to recover from drug addiction, alcoholism, domestic violence, homelessness and other crises.
The house itself has a long and varied history. Emma Jenkins Rue, a civic benefactor who lived in Spokane, built this house in 1921 and lived there for 17 years. When she sold the house in 1938, it was converted from a single-family home to six apartments, to provide housing for military personnel stationed nearby at Fairchild Air Force Base. It continued as a multi-family dwelling for the next 45 years.In the middle 1980s, plans were made that would change the future of this home. Four orders of Catholic Sisters--the Dominican Sisters of Spokane, Sisters of the Holy Names, the Sisters of St. Francis and Sisters of the Good Shepherd--came together and developed a program to provide transitional housing to women in crisis. It would be a place to heal, emotionally and physically, from abuse, addiction, and the effects of poverty.Originally, the program used a large, two-story home on Mission Street. That house could accommodate as many as five women at a time, as they received support and counseling to rebuild their lives. Within two years, the program expanded to the Emma Jenkins Rue house, then owned by Sisters of the Good Shepherd. This house had again been remodeled and now provided nine individual bedrooms and a small apartment in the basement. This is the home that is now called Miryam's House.For two years, the program used both homes, and had as many as 15 residents. But in 1990 the Sisters had to cut back to one home, and they chose the Emma Jenkins Rue house because of its larger capacity. This is where the program still resides.Key features of this large 4,000 square foot home are the three fireplaces and the solid oak floors. Residents receive a private room with a single bed, a dresser and a small desk. They share a bathroom with one other resident. The private apartment in the basement is reserved for pregnant women, who may stay until the birth of their child and for several months afterward.Payment for room and board at Miryam's never exceeds one-third of a woman's income, which usually comes from SSI or state subsidies. Whenever possible, the women are encouraged and helped to find a job or enroll in college, as an avenue to self-sufficiency and financial stability. Women can stay at Miryam's for as long as one year.The staff at Miryam's creates a nurturing and structured environment, free of drugs and alcohol. They provide counseling and referrals to community resources. The residents plan and eat meals together, to foster a strong sense of community. The opportunity for community is seen throughout the house, from the 8-place dining table, to the 8-seat family room, to the large living room, furnished with overstuffed couches and a piano, to the outdoor picnic table.In addition, the staff people act as mentors to the women, creating successful relationships and modeling the values of respect, growth, wholeness and justice. As the women heal and recovery deepens, the women learn important life skills such as how to budget and how to save money. Exploration of one's spiritual dimension is also encouraged, but is not mandatory. An important tenet at Miryam's is the right to self-determination.Everyone who has ever lived at Miryam's is welcome to participate in the Alumnae Program, including those that graduate successfully as well as those who do not. This aspect of the program provides one-on-one case management, support groups and social activities so that these women can maintain or achieve stability in their disrupted lives.Bernadette Ries, one of the founding Sisters of Miryam's House, is pleased with the success of the program. "It came out of a true need," she says, "and it's exciting to see it continue and grow."This summer the exterior of the 87-year-old Miryam's House was transformed with paint and new siding. But the real transformations continue to happen inside, where women with painful experiences and disrupted dreams find a caring community that fosters permanent change through healing, learning and growth. ____________________Miryam's House is now part of a larger organization called Transitions. You can read about the other parts of the organization by visiting http://www.help4women.com/.Why did I do this story? Click below to find out.
