Dove Recovery House for Women Receives $340,000 from Lilly Endowment Inc.

Local Sources— Lilly Endowment Inc. has made a $340,000 grant to Dove Recovery House for Women to support capacity-building efforts during the next three years.

The grant is one of 28 grants totaling $41 million that are designed to help human services organizations and community centers in central Indiana enhance their ability to meet the needs of the individuals and families they serve.

Dove House will utilize the $340,000 grant funding to provide more equitable pay, improve organizational operations, enhance the infrastructure quality, establish a more robust human resources tool and provide more professional education and training opportunities for the agency’s employees. A portion of the grant will also support annual operating costs to provide client supplies including toiletries, food, cleaning products and personal care products.

“We are beyond grateful to be a recipient of this capacity-building grant from Lilly Endowment,” said Dove House CEO Wendy Noe. “Our employees are in the life-saving business and should be compensated for the important work they do to serve our clients. The newly established benefits and employee pay structure we will be able to offer, thanks to this grant, will allow Dove House to attract and retain the best talent so we can provide the highest quality of care that our clients deserve.”

Dove House is the largest residential treatment and recovery program in Marion and Dubois counties for women struggling with substance use disorder. In 2022, Dove House served 113 clients who stayed an average of 229 days. In addition to battling substance abuse and addiction, many women who seek help from Dove House are also escaping homelessness, coping with mental health diagnoses, re-entering society after incarceration and re-establishing parenting responsibility. All Dove House residents are below the 200% poverty level.

“Indianapolis has a robust network of organizations dedicated to helping people overcome challenges and begin to build satisfying and self-sufficient lives,” said Ronni Kloth, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for community development. “These agencies help Indianapolis be a more compassionate and caring city, and we hope these grants help strengthen their ability to meet the demand for their critical services.”

Dove House is certified as a level IV Recovery Residence through Indiana Alliance for Recovery Residences and currently has a staff of 35 employees ranging from resident advocates, peer recovery coaches, licensed therapists and administrative staff.