If you are familiar with the Charis House, the women’s residential recovery program at Ministry Village at Olive, then you may have heard about our House Managers. These unsung heroines are the strength behind the program, working day and night (literally) to nurture, protect, disciple and care for the women who have trusted their futures to the Charis House.

For those unfamiliar with the Charis House program, it is organized into 3 phases. When a woman enters the Charis House program, she begins what is called Phase 1, which typically lasts 12 months. The women live together in a home and follow a structured schedule full of activities and curriculum that work together to promote each woman’s spiritual, physical, mental and social well-being. The days are hard. They are emotional. They are intense. Women are facing years – sometimes decades – of habits and addictions as well as the behaviors and traumas that led them down destructive paths. While each client works with a local licensed mental health counselor, the House Manager becomes a daily guide, providing stability, structure and a helping hand throughout the process.

Once a client completes Phase 1, Phase 2 is an optional next step and must be approved by the Charis House and Ministry Village team. In Phase 2, clients are required to find a job or attend school and since they have no car, the House Manager provides transportation. Phase 2 lasts approximately 1 year. In mid-2019, the Charis House began Phase 3 of its program – The Esther House. This phase provides a tangible goal for the ladies of the Charis House to work toward. “The goal for the Esther House is to provide an independent-living situation with some structure like visitor guidelines, home checks, random drug screening, etc., balanced with having their own transportation to school or work, buying their own groceries and supplies, and paying rent and utilities,” explains Vanessa Bettis, Director of Ladies Recovery Ministries for Ministry Village. The Esther House can hold up to 6 women at one time, with no house manager living on-site.

Vanessa emphasizes the importance of the House Manager role to the entire program. “They are responsible for so much and they really handle a lot. Life and emergencies happen. (The House Managers) juggle medical, legal, day-to-day structure, answering calls, as well as getting Phase 2 ladies to school and work.” Currently, there are 3 house managers who share the job, working 24-hour shifts in rotation with 4 days on and 3 days off. “The team that God has put together is amazing. We each have different strengths and weaknesses, different personalities - but when you put us all together, it’s a great team for handling the various challenges that this type of program has.”

• To learn more about the Charis House, click here or contact Vanessa Bettis at 850-475-1116 or VBettis@MinistryVillage.org.

• To donate to the Charis House or any Ministry Village program, click here.

• The Charis House has created an Amazon Wish List, where you can choose needed items, purchase through Amazon and everything will be shipped directly to Ministry Village. To shop through the wish list, visit https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3S2AXDSG4CY93…

• If you prefer to donate in a more traditional way, Walmart gift cards are always a blessing to the Charis House and the Esther House. Gift cards are used to purchase necessities like towels, toiletries and other household items. Please send gift cards to:

  Ministry Village at Olive, Attention: Ms. Vanessa Bettis, 1716 E. Olive Road, Pensacola, FL 32514.