Saint Joseph’s College Trustees and staff are pleased to welcome The House of Grace to campus. The House of Grace is a nonprofit, faith-based organization established in 2017 in Thorntown, Indiana. They provide education, spiritual and emotional healing, and a safe environment where residents experience an at-home familiarity. The House of Grace, available for women who struggle with drug and alcohol addiction, is a safe place for women coming out of jail or prison and is INARR (Indiana Affiliation of Recovery Residents) certified.
Founder and Executive Director, Tammy Tidd, former Chaplain at Boone County jail said that is where her dream began. Tammy’s vision was to open a house where she would live alongside and walk through the program with women by mentoring, leading, and showing them a new way of living. Tammy shares, “I would show the ladies we need something bigger than us to help change the destructive lifestyle in which they were enslaved. We find that through Jesus Christ. At the House, we help them reunite with their families and children. We want to empower them to become strong women and to make good choices when they go back into the community.”
Tammy continues, “Opening a house on the Saint Joseph’s College campus has given us a great opportunity to help more women than we have been able to at our first location. We have the room to continue to grow and house many women.” Housed in the residential apartments, growth is possible with staff, volunteers, and donations.
While on campus, the ladies have the opportunity to further their education. Once the nine-month program is complete, the women can move into the transitional house and start taking classes offered through Saint Joe. Tammy states, “Taking these classes and completing the program is going to give them a chance to get a degree or license, get a good-paying job, and take care of themselves and their families. It will help them stay out of the pit of wondering how they are going to make it. It will build their self-esteem and confidence, which they may never have or lost while in the mess of things. Our hope is the ladies who complete the program will want to be part of helping lead the next lady into a better life.”
Saint Joseph’s College is grateful for the opportunity to partner with The House of Grace to establish a home in Rensselaer, which follows our mission of serving the underserved. When asked how the local community can help, Tammy says, “You can help by partnering with us financially or donating items we need regularly. We need community businesses to be willing to give these ladies jobs once they are ready to work. We need the community to be willing to encourage, love and lead these ladies when they start working in the community. The House of Grace needs the community to stand beside us and these ladies. We need to love them and not tear them down.”
Tammy has been overwhelmed and excited by the number of volunteers already on board. With this quick growth, they are looking for an additional house manager willing to help with the next apartment. Items they regularly need include paper goods, hygiene items, food, and gift cards for food and gas. For more information on how you can help or how to donate, contact Tammy Tidd at tamtidd79@yahoo.com or houseofgracerecoveryhomes.org.
Contact Us
Saint Joseph’s College PO Box 300 Rensselaer, IN 47978
Email: bgraf@saintjoe.edu
Phone: 219-866-6000 ext 2014
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