The women in our Roots Memphis community recently gathered for a powerful evening of reflection and hope as we offered up 2024 and set intentions for 2025.
Around the fire pit, residents took time to reflect on the past year — the challenges they overcame, the growth they experienced, and the things they were ready to release as they step into a new chapter.
Inside, the women created vision boards, capturing their goals, dreams, and intentions for the year ahead. From recovery milestones to family reunification, education, employment, and personal growth, the boards were filled with hope and possibility.
Moments like these remind us that recovery is not only about healing from the past — it’s also about imagining and building a future.
At Roots, we are proud to walk alongside these incredible women as they continue to grow, set goals, and step boldly into 2025 with intention and purpose.
Here’s to a year of healing, growth, and new beginnings. 🌱✨

Today we celebrate someone very special in the Roots family — Ana.

Ana is truly the heart and soul of our Memphis community. She has a way of looking out for others, lifting people up, and bringing warmth and kindness into the house every day.

Ana first came to Roots through Shelby County Drug Court, and over the past two years she has worked incredibly hard to rebuild her life. Along the way, she has achieved one of the most meaningful milestones of all — getting her son back.

Today Ana is thriving, and it has been a privilege to witness her growth, strength, and dedication to recovery.

Her journey is a beautiful reminder of what is possible when women are given time, support, and a safe place to heal.

Ana, we are so proud of you and so grateful you are part of the Roots family.
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Happy Birthday, you magical being!!!! ✨🎂🌱

It’s been a busy and memorable Christmas season at the Roots Jackson House.

The day included tree trimming, bed building, and even a little possum catching. Yes… a possum! We caught one last week and safely released him out in the swamps where he belongs. Just another day in recovery housing.

Moments like these remind us that life in recovery is full of real, everyday moments — sometimes peaceful, sometimes funny, and sometimes a little unexpected.

While Jackson was busy with holiday projects, we are incredibly grateful to Lyndsay Gray and all the Delta Groove Yoga elves for helping make Christmas in our Memphis community merry and bright. Your kindness, generosity, and holiday spirit brought so much joy to the women in our homes.

At Roots, the holidays are about more than decorations. They’re about community, laughter, and creating new memories during a season that can be difficult for many in recovery.

From possum rescues to Christmas lights, it’s been a season full of life.
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From our Roots family to yours — Merry Christmas! 🎄✨

ts 🎃Happy Halloween from all of us at Roots Recovery Housing!

The women at the Hale House were definitely in the spirit this year. To celebrate the day, they spent time connecting with their inner child through a simple but joyful sidewalk chalk activity. Laughter, creativity, and a little bit of color filled the driveway as everyone took a moment to slow down and have some fun together.

Moments like these remind us that recovery isn’t only about the hard work — it’s also about relearning joy, connection, and play.

As you enjoy Halloween tonight, remember to stay safe and ward off those demons — the spooky ones and the ones that try to sneak back into our lives.

Wishing our residents, supporters, and community a safe, fun, and colorful Halloween.
👻 Stay safe
🎨 Stay playful
🌱 Keep choosing recovery
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Happy Halloween from the Roots family! 🎃

Today Roots had the opportunity to host a Lunch & Learn at Crestwyn Behavioral Health Services to share about the work we are doing through Roots Recovery Housing.

We always appreciate the chance to connect with community partners who are working alongside us to support women on their recovery journey.

The tablecloth might have been a little lopsided, but the jambalaya was 🔥 and the conversation about recovery, housing stability, and community support was even better.
Lunch & Learns like this help us build relationships with providers who may encounter women in need of safe, supportive recovery housing.

We’re grateful to Crestwyn Behavioral Health Services for welcoming Roots and giving us the opportunity to share about our homes and the women we serve.
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It takes a community to support recovery — and we’re thankful to be part of one that cares.

Happy 5th Birthday, Roots!This year marks five years of Roots Recovery Housing — and we are celebrating how far this community has come.

Roots began with a simple but powerful vision: women in recovery deserve safe, supportive housing that truly helps them rebuild their lives.

After seeing the need for a different kind of recovery housing for women, the Roots founder opened the first Roots women’s house in Memphis, Tennessee on September 1, 2019.

It was the beginning of something special.

In 2021, Roots expanded by opening a women and children–friendly recovery house in Jackson, Tennessee, creating a space where mothers in recovery could heal while keeping their families together.
Over the past five years, Roots has continued to grow, providing safe housing, structure, and support to women working hard to build stable, healthy lives.

What started as one house and a vision has become a community rooted in recovery, resilience, and second chances.
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We are grateful for every woman who has trusted us with her journey, every supporter who has believed in this mission, and every partner who has helped make this work possible.

Happy 5th Birthday, Roots.
The seeds planted in 2019 are still growing. 🌱

One of the first things we discover when women arrive at Roots Recovery Housing is that many of them have no personal documents.

No birth certificate.
No Social Security card.
No state ID.

And yet the first thing people often say is, “Just get a job.” But the truth is, there’s a huge gap between homelessness and employment that many people never see.

You need a birth certificate and Social Security card to get an ID.
You need an ID to get a job.
You need a job to pay rent.

For women rebuilding their lives after addiction, trauma, incarceration, or homelessness, replacing these documents can become one of the first major obstacles. When documents are out of state, the process becomes even harder — requiring fees, mail delays, and navigating multiple systems while someone is simply trying to stabilize their life.

At Roots, document replacement is often the very first step in helping a woman rebuild.

Before employment.
Before rent.
Before independence.

We walk alongside our residents through the process of ordering birth certificates, replacing Social Security cards, and obtaining state IDs so they can move forward.

It may seem like a small thing, but it’s actually the first bridge between instability and opportunity.
I wish document replacement were easier, faster, less expensive, and more accessible for people trying to rebuild their lives — especially when records are out of state.

Because right now, there’s a real crack between homelessness and employment that needs a bridge.
Nonetheless… there’s no crack we can’t jump over together.
And at Roots, we start by helping women take that very first step.
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Supporting Housing Stability for Women and Children in RecoveryAt Roots Recovery Housing, we believe safe housing is the foundation of recovery. Our homes provide women and mothers with children a stable place to heal, rebuild their lives, and work toward long-term independence.
But even when women are doing everything right, unexpected challenges can happen — a medical bill, car repair, reduced work hours, or other financial emergencies.
The Roots “Gimme Shelter” Project raises funds for our Bridging the Gap Fund, a safety net that helps residents stay housed during these difficult moments.
This fund provides emergency assistance for things like:
• Temporary rent support
• Medication or medical needs
• Transportation or car repairs needed for work
• Essential needs for mothers and children
Sometimes a small amount of help at the right moment can prevent housing instability and keep a woman focused on her recovery and her family.
Roots currently operates four recovery homes serving women and mothers with children in Memphis and Jackson, Tennessee, providing a safe environment where healing and stability can take root.
All proceeds from the Gimme Shelter Project go directly to the Bridging the Gap Fund, helping ensure that temporary setbacks do not derail the progress women and families are working so hard to build.
Together, we can help women stay safely housed, continue their recovery journey, and rebuild their futures.

Roots Receives Its First “Big” Check: A Moment of Gratitude and CommunityEvery organization has moments that remind us why the work matters. For Roots Recovery Housing, this week was one of those moments.
We were incredibly honored to receive our first “big” donation check, a milestone that represents far more than funding. It represents belief — belief in our mission, belief in the women we serve, and belief that recovery housing can change lives.
We are deeply grateful to Corie Ventura and WREG News Channel 3’s “Greater Memphis with a Mission”, Brown Missionary Baptist Church, and Marla Smith-Brown with Mid-South Genesis for recognizing the work happening in our Roots community. Their generosity and encouragement shine a light on the importance of safe, supportive housing for women rebuilding their lives after substance use and trauma.
At Roots Recovery Housing, we provide more than a place to stay. Our homes are places where women can find stability, reconnect with their children, and begin building a future rooted in recovery, dignity, and hope.
Support like this allows us to continue creating safe environments where women can heal, grow, and take the next steps toward independent living.
We are also excited to share that Roots will soon be featured on WREG-TV’s “Greater Memphis with a Mission.” The interview will highlight the impact of recovery housing and the stories of resilience within our community.
Moments like this remind us that recovery is not something anyone has to do alone. It takes a community that believes in second chances.
To everyone who supports Roots — through donations, encouragement, partnerships, and prayer — thank you for helping us plant seeds of healing and watch women rise.
Stay tuned for our upcoming interview on WREG-TV!