Friends of Guest House provides structure, supervision, and support to women from the Commonwealth of Virginia who are reentering the community from incarceration. Its tiered three-year program includes housing, job training and counseling and since its founding in 1974, Friends of Guest House has helped more than 3,000 formerly incarcerated women and, by extension, their nearly 4,000 children. Without reentry support, 70% of ex-offenders nationwide reoffend within two years. Among Guest House graduates, fewer than 10% reoffend. Friends of Guest House will use the Many Hands grant to purchase the rental home where eight of its “aftercare” clients live, to insure it will not be sold out from under them. The women’s affordable monthly rent will support general operating costs at this home, freeing up funds to support housing for other Friends of Guest clients.

Impact Grant: $100,000