Samaritan Inns Launches Addiction Treatment Program for Women with Children

Photography by Chelsea Hudson

On June 16th, Samaritan Inns launched a new hope for our community, our Women with Children Program, the first of its kind in DC.

There are nearly one thousand homeless families, half of which are headed by mothers who are battling addiction. This new program will create a safe home where mothers can receive treatment and family services while establishing a foundation for long-term independent living.

Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, Brenda Donald, spoke at the event and shared how important it is “not to bring children into foster care while their mothers receive treatment, but to provide the support to keep families together.” Other attendees from the District of Columbia Government include our Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, Dr. Barbara Bazron, Director for the DC Department of Behavioral Health, and Donna Doolin, Deputy Director of DC’s APRA.

The event also saw the announcement of the renaming of the Harvard Inn to Clark Inn to honor the late A. James Clark, our most dedicated supporter. The ribbon cutting for the Clark Inn and the new Women with Children Program was completed by his widow, Mrs. Alice Clark, and daughter, Courtney Pastrick of the Clark Family Foundation.

Street Sense and WAMU’s Metro Connection covered the day’s events and spread the word about our program.

To see photos of the day’s events, please check out our gallery. To learn more about the program and how you can get involved with our Campaign for Hope, please click here.