Prosperity House Recovery Support Agency
6620-22 S. Evans * Chicago, IL 60637
(773) 752-2837 Office – Fax (773) 752-2839
Mission
Prosperity House is a not for profit, community based transitional living home. We are committed to reducing the recidivism rate for women, youth, HIV/AID clients and returning citizens and their children being placed into foster care. Prosperity House is dedicated to maintaining a substance free environment so growth and self-reliance can take place.
Assessing the Problem
The most recent correctional census indicates that more than 1.3 million women are under the control of the criminal justice system in the United States. Approximately 213,000 women are in correctional institutions and 1.1 million are under community supervision. As of midyear 2008, more than 99,000 women (12 percent of the total jail population) were confined in local jails and detention centers (Minton and Sabol 2009). Women represent 24 percent of the 4.2 million people on probation and 12 percent of the 798,000 people on parole. (Glaze and Bonczar 2007)`
Returning offenders are highly concentrated in urban communities. In Illinois, 51 percent of ex-offenders returned to Chicago, within nine neighborhoods—Austin, Humboldt Park, North Lawndale, Woodlawn, Englewood, West Englewood, West Pullman, Roseland and East Garfield Park—receiving 34 percent of the Chicago ex-offender cohort. (Source: Urban Institute). While housing ex-offenders likely will remain a contentious issue in many communities, advocates say all Americans have a vested interest in seeing ex-offenders find a home outside prison. The alternative makes for grim statistics: Today, of all offenders on parole, two thirds are re-arrested within three years.
Every year nearly 650,000 former inmates are coming home, often to drug-drenched neighborhoods and with nowhere to go. They are ostracized from public housing and even from their own families. CDC’s and service providers nationwide are recognizing that supportive housing is the third leg of a program stool that makes for successful reentry, in addition to job training and substance abuse treatment.
In general, demographic profiles of women involved in the criminal justice system indicate they are in their mid-thirties, are single mothers with young children, and are disproportionately women of color (Covington 2007). The challenges that face female offenders particularly are related closely to past childhood neglect, sexual abuse, limited education and lack of employment.
“Prosperity House is Part of the Solution”
It is a driven passion for most community workers/advocates as they take a panoramic view of the issues that plaque their communities daily. It is these that want to make a difference, but find it difficult to know where to start, and connect with networks that have this same passion to join in assisting them as they produce programs that will change lives.
Mrs. Beverly Ann Davis Founder/CEO of Prosperity House Inc. has had this passion all of her adult life, particularly for young girls and women who lack the support and guidance to hurdle over life challenges. Mrs. Davis is deeply committed to the service of others and has dedicated her life to assisting individuals whose circumstances often present extreme challenges. She has commitment herself to reach out into the streets of her local community and pull them in with nurture and care. She has extensive background and expertise in addiction studies, transitional housing and community outreach, conducting campaigns targeting female addicts and homeless female veterans and their children. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience in creating and maintaining clean, safe, drug free transitional living housing for the women she serves.
Her work in the substance abuse community has acquired her awards, which include the 2005 Alumni of the Year Award from East-West University for her contributions to the community through Prosperity House. She is a recipient of Spertus’ 2007 scholarship and recipient of 2010 Alumni Association of Prosperity House Recovering Women. Her goal after completion of the MSNM degree at Spertus is to develop transitional facilities for women and their families in Chicago’s challenged areas. In addition, her husband Mr. Everett Davis, born and raised on Chicago’s south side, is an up-and-coming premier inspirational speaker. He truly brings hope and spiritual inspiration to Prosperity House and the Chicago communities they serve.
Founded in 2006, Prosperity House has four-in-four bedroom apartments, which serves 40 women. Prosperity House offers extended residential care, and independent living. A full-time staff, including Certified Addictions Counselors, Case Managers and 24-hour Monitors are on duty to assist the women. The residents are sober and living a life of recovery from the disease of chemical dependency and substance abuse. Prosperity House offers numerous services: clean comfortable rooms, three (3) meals a day, AA Meetings, Parenting Classes, Life Skills Classes, Real Estate classes, one-on-one Guidance/Counseling and Group, Pastoral Counseling one-on-on and Group, Day Care (future), Case Management, Job Readiness Class, Financial Management Class, Exercise Group and Mentoring programs are offered by us and/or through outside linkages. We also network with other agencies for clothing, education, health needs, transportation, and many other services. There is an on-site library that has books, tapes, DVD’s, movies, magazines, and newspapers that the clients can sign-out.
Prosperity House is now recognized on the local and state level, and has become a valuable asset to the Woodlawn Community in Chicago.
It is a 16-bed recovery home for women. Both program activities are conducted at 6620-22 S. Evans, Chicago IL. The program goals include:
- To assist women in reaching their highest-level goals.
- To make an investment in our residents by offering them the support and care that they need to realize their greatness.
- To bring peace and PROSPERITY to each woman, their families, and community.
Prosperity House and its commitment to supporting the Woodlawn community has been evaluated by the Illinois State Office of the Governor and received a 90% successful rating, which is reflective in the restoration of many female addicts’ who have participated in the program.
Prosperity House has not limited services to just transitional living, but now has reached out its hands into the streets. Our recently developed outreach services in August 2010 for women located in the Woodlawn Community has begun to provide food, clothing, beauty services, referrals and transportation support to detoxification and treatment program’s Monday through Friday. The “Beauty Corner” within the facility offers hair and nails services by appointment. These women can come and relax, eat, stay warm and watch a movie. The clients who live at Prosperity House volunteer their services to help their fellow sisters who are still on the street.
Growth Demands Quality Serves
Many of the past clients at Prosperity House have excelled and given wonderful testimonies of how this program has changed their lives, and their families. It is this motivation that the CEO/Founder and staff strives increasingly to do more every day, and produce evidence-based programming, state-of-the-art services, and efficient professional support services for its clients.
With many economic challenges, this community program, like many others are established by driven community leaders that want to see a change and make a difference. A large percentage of upfront funding has come out of the pockets of the founders and close associates, but as increased growth continues and the need for quality service; financial challenges must continually be addressed to cover minor and major expenses. It is then our pursuit to find organizations, companies and individuals that will join in this campaign to turn lives around “one woman at a time”.
We extend an invitation to discuss our programs with you in more detail. Attach you will find a list of needed items and testimonies from past clients.
Thank you for your time and future contributions,
Mrs. Beverly Davis, CEO/Founder
Prosperity House, Inc.
Donations List
Van/or Mini Bus-Copy machine-Drapes/Curtains-Washer/Dryer-Stove
Beds (Twin Size) 20-Chest of Drawers 14-Microwave 3-Printers 2
Blankets-Sheets (Twin Size)-Dining Room Chairs 8-Kitchen dining set
Pots / Pans-Chairs-Sofa-Computers
www.prosperityhousersa.com
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