About Us
-----------------------------------------------Gratitude House is able to restore hope to the lives of many women and children thanks to the support of our generous donors.
History
Back in 1968, eleven women met in the “Serenity Room” of the Triangle Club on 4th Street in West Palm Beach. They emptied their pockets, and with $23 founded Gratitude House which was then known as the Gratitude Guild. The women, whose husbands called them the “Silk Stocking Group” because they wore hats, gloves and pearls, were determined to find a place where they could offer homeless, needy, alcoholic women a place to live providing housing, meals and rehabilitation. Back then, jail was the only option for women with no resources.
Over the years, Gratitude House has adapted to the needs of the community. In 1989, a special innovative program was started for pregnant and postpartum women, and then in 1990 a partnership was developed with The Children’s Place to provide housing for children whose mothers were undergoing treatment. Two years later a Day Treatment Program began, and day care was arranged for clients with children. In 1996, Gratitude House was aware of the unique difficulties involved with HIV chemically dependent women and through a Federal grant administered by the City of West Palm Beach, Hibiscus Haven was opened as a safe residence for eight qualifying women.
In 2003 The Paul C. Nagel Administration Building was opened, giving Gratitude House the additional room needed to begin a Day/Night Treatment Program, and prepare for a much-needed program that would allow a pregnant woman treatment while allowing her to keep her newborn with her at Gratitude House. In 2005, Gratitude House became one of only six facilities in the country to introduce its exciting new MITT Program (Mothers and Infants in Treatment Together).
Along the way, we integrated co-occurring issues, Case Management services and vocational counseling into our treatment programs. From its humble beginnings as an all-volunteer operation -- clipping coupons, delivering meals and renting a small house on Hibiscus Street--Gratitude House has grown with the times and needs of the community.
Today, Gratitude House is a fully accredited Level II licensed treatment center for women age 18 years and older, that helps women successfully battle the disease of addiction and co-occurring issues. We continue to practice innovative treatment modalities aimed at aiding both the individual clients and the greater community in which they reside. Through the provision of professional clinical therapy in a nurturing and safe environment, it is our goal at Gratitude House to help rehabilitate women caught in the seemingly hopeless cycle of drug and alcohol addiction. We are committed to helping these women to achieve sustained wellness and sobriety in order to function in the community as self-sufficient, healthy and productive citizens.