Dear Friends,

In just a few days, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving and I extend heartfelt thanks to all of our readers for your interest and faithful support in the Ridge House. I also thank you in advance for your future support.

These have been exciting days at Ridge House. Our outpatient program is expanding as we respond to the on-going needs of the criminal justice system and the larger community of Northern Nevada. Steven Burt, MA, LADC joined our staff this summer and as the Assistant Director will be working towards developing more programs and outreach groups. This will mean that the specialized groups that are so crucial to not only our clients, but also to the larger community can be offered through Ridge House. We are working towards adding smoking cessation, DUI classes, anger management and family reunification sessions in 2007. It is an exciting time.

As I prepare my board report, I am always aware that we suffer from overflow capacity at each level of our continuum of care: residential, transitional, outpatient and the housing voucher program. As more and more programs and organizations have closed, the needs for our services are growing each day. Denise Culpepper, our client care coordinator, keeps me informed that our residential beds are now scheduled out to March, 2007. While it isn’t easy time, I am very proud of our staff.

Finally, The Ridge House has just completed an extensive organizational study by Social Entrepreneurs, Inc. One of the positive conclusions was that Ridge House has a staff that is totally committed to our mission of assisting our clients. While we have organizational and structural changes recommended at the administrative level we feel these challenges are positive because they are a product of our tremendous growth in the past three years. I look forward to working with my staff and the community in the upcoming months to meet these challenges. I know we will succeed in continuing to offer the highest level of care for our clients.

God bless you and have a great Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,



Daniel M. Drinan
Executive Director

The Ridge House is typically known for extending a helping hand to our clients with substance abuse needs. Although this is our main focus we strive to practice what we preach here at Ridge. A large part of recovery for our clients is giving back to the community. Ridge House staff and clients gave back Saturday, October 7th by supporting Nevada Aids Foundation’s 2nd annual Black and White Ball. Ridge House staff members purchased tables and participated in silent auctions while many clients gave of their time to help run the event. Ridge House would like to extend a congratulations to Lori Smith-Ingberg and the Nevada Aid’s Foundation for another successful and extraordinary event.

The Black and White ball is held annually to support families struggling with H.I.V./A.I.D.S. in Northern Nevada. The Ridge House benefits greatly from its partnerships in the community and believes that if we are to survive it is essential and necessary for non-profits to not only extend helping hands to each other, but to hold hands with one another. Every non-profit is fighting a battle, a cause, and a challenge in our community and it takes a village to make an impact, not a single entity. With so many people today having strong needs, a non-profit organization can never expect to help all needing services. By non-profits helping non-profits we can extend our reach further than we could before. All non-profit organizations are linked to each other. Almost every home in America is effected by non-profits in one way or another. With each of us holding hands together we can make a difference and fight for our organization’s causes. Causes that so desperately need fighting for.

-Story written by Daniel Crump, CADCIntern, Residential Counselor

Over the past two years The Ridge House outpatient treatment services have grown by over 600%. With outpatient treatment we are now able to reach many of the clients that our residential service alone could not reach. This would not have been possible without the support and referrals we obtain from the Division of Parole & Probation. Everyday Ridge House collaborates with Parole & Probation in order to help our clients transition back into the community successfully.

On Friday, October 20 Ridge House held a Parole & Probation appreciation luncheon, at the Ridge House administrative offices, to thank the division for all their help and support and to present information about the changing services at The Ridge House. The food was prepared by Ridge House staff and the turnout was great. We thank the division of Parole & Probation for their attendance, hard work and collaboration.

On Tuesday, October 24 Ridge House was recognized at an awards ceremony at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center by the Arcadia Branch of the NAACP . The award was given in recognition of the re-enty services Ridge House provides to those in prison. Accompanying the award was a donation from the chapter.

Chapter members stated that the monies were raised from NAACP fundraisers that took place inside of the correctional center, throughout the year. 100% of monies were raised through and by inmates. Ridge House was among three agencies chosen for an award and donation.

You are invited to the Ridge House annual holiday open house/christmas party. Wednesday December 13 5:30-7:00pm.

If you would like to help with christmas gifts for our clients and/or their families please let us know by emailing Lynda Harper, Clinical Director at lharper@ridgehouse.org.

Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you at the party.