It seems like 2020 has brought nothing but uncertainty and worry to our lives. With COVID19 rates climbing again and virtual learning schedules changing, many of us are wondering what the upcoming winter months will look like. Even during the beginning rush of the holiday season, November is usually a time when we sit back and think about what we are thankful for. But during the last 9 months, it has become a habit for most of us to dwell on the negative, and while it’s understandable since life been quite difficult for everyone, there is always something positive to look for out there. 

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Rage Against Addiction has two women’s sober living houses in rural Harford County, MD. Both houses were established under the Daughter’s House program, which strives to “provide more quality options to individuals in transition between rehab and recovery.” The first house opened in November 2018 and is named after the successful Daughter’s House program. Sister House opened in May 2020 in the midst of a global pandemic. Both houses fill a never-ending need for those struggling in our community and offer an encouraging environment for women to recover from addiction, become independent, and begin to heal the broken parts of their lives. Since November 2018, Rage Against Addiction has helped 52 residents in both houses ranging from eighteen years old to the mid-fifties. Once accepted into one of the houses, there is a thirty-day blackout period where residents cannot go out except to actively look for employment and attend NA/AA meeting where they must find a sponsor. Cell phones and vehicles are not permitted to those who are unemployed, and residents must be up by 7:00am during the week. This is a critical time at the very beginning stages of recovery; the intention is for the women to solely work on their own lives without the distractions from the outside world, but they are often coming directly from a rehabilitation facility, are recently released from incarceration, or are literally coming in off the streets, and likely have little confidence and coping skills to manage life outside of addiction. During their stay at Daughter’s House or Sister House, residents must participate in housework and monthly activities, such as counseled discussions, yoga/relaxation classes, paint nights, family dinners, and Narcan training. After their stay at one of the houses, Rachel Bongiorno, the Program Director, assists the women with an individual plan of long-term recovery so that they may continue on a happier and healthier path. 

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If you’d like to know more about Daughter’s House or Sister House, please visit our Facebook page for updates and information. You can support our houses by donating items from our Wish List or by cooking/buying and delivering a meal. To make arrangements, please email our Program Director Rachel Bongiorno. We sincerely appreciate your kindness!