Coalition Member Spotlight

Mary's House

Mary’s House was founded in 1996 by concerned Greensboro residents who recognized that there was no program for women addicted to substances and who were also mothers. The agency constructed an eight-bedroom, six-bath house in the Westerwood section of Greensboro. The New Creations Community Presbyterian Church donated the land for the facility, and HUD provided a major construction grant. Greensboro citizens raised over $200,000 to match the HUD construction grant.

Mary’s House is fully licensed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Facility Services as a therapeutic home for substance abusers and their children. A volunteer board of directors governs Mary’s House, with day-to-day managementdelegated to professional staff. We have seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day awake staff to provide supervision to the facility.

In addition, starting in 2005, Mary’s House has a major expansion project with Mary’s Homes. Mary’s Homes are 16 single-family dwellings on scattered sites for mothers in recovery from addiction issues and their
minor children. We will have five two-bedroom homes, seven three-bedroom homes, and four four-bedroom homes throughout Greensboro. Mary’s House and Mary’s Homes will accept only homeless women in recovery and their minor children. Mary’s Homes will have full case management for the sixteen families in residence.

Craig Thomas, Executive Director of Mary’s House, has over 25 years in experience in substance abuse rehabilitation, with a specialty in non-profit management. The clinical director, Janzlean Laughinghouse, M.S.W., P-LCSW, is a parent educator who is completing her doctorate in Human Development and Family Studies.

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