Renaissance House Perseveres

BISBEE, AZ (6/18/09) -- Renaissance House, southeast Arizona’s only residential behavioral health facility serving homeless women who have children and are in recovery from drug and alcohol dependence, is surviving despite the country’s current economic troubles. 

The House’s resilience is even more surprising when considering this non-profit also shelters many of its residents’ dependent children.

“It’s been touch-and-go”, states Vicki French, Renaissance House Executive Director, “But, just when we think we cannot help our women and their children any longer we manage to continue.”

Many of Renaissance House’s residents are victims of domestic violence, women getting out of jail or prison, women with mental illness, and women who are working to reunite their families. The House provides residents food, shelter, clothing, transportation and childcare while offering a comprehensive array of services, treatment and training.

French added that like many non-profits predominately dependent on State funding it has become more difficult to rely on a continuous flow of revenue. This has placed an added burden on Renaissance House which has exhausted its once considerable reserves in order to house and treat women who cannot be funded by State behavioral health providers. 

The House has managed to work with a barely sustainable revenue flow from its wholly-owned for-profit Belleza Gallery, individual donations and grants. “We are also working very hard to secure new contracts with the State’s Regional Behavioral Health Authorities,” noted French. “However, this takes time and challenges us to find other revenue sources until these new programs can come online. Despite this we intend to prevail. Our mission is vital especially when considering we are the only facility of its kind within Cochise, Santa Cruz, Greenlee and Graham counties.”

French reported that the program is extremely appreciative of the small but necessary contributions made by individual community members. One of the program’s most generous individual contributors is currently working in the Middle East but she continues to give to the program because she recognizes its value.

Renaissance House, located in Bisbee, AZ, is a Level 2 behavioral health facility providing counseling; continuous onsite or on-call availability of a behavioral health professional; and continuous treatment to an individual who is experiencing a behavioral health issue that limits the individual's independence but who is able to participate in all aspects of treatment and to meet the individual's basic physical and age-appropriate needs.

Donations can be made by check to Women’s Transition Project, PO Box 943, Bisbee, Arizona 85603 or by credit card on our contribute page.