Women Find Refuge and Recovery at Bliss House
- Janell McCoy
- Apr 23
- 5 min read
Updated: May 8
From mourning to miracles. How one house became a refuge for rebirth.
Wed, April 23, 2025 at 2:30 PM EDT 5 min read
ON THE EDGE OF DOWNTOWN JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA, a bright white Victorian house stands tall and welcoming, its turret poking the clouds as they pass by. A cat lounges on a wooden porch swing. This isn’t just any house; this is a sanctuary where women recovering from addiction have found shelter. This is Bliss House.
Stephanie Satterly is the Director of Bliss House. She identifies as an addict, although she’s been sober for 11 years. Like many addicts, her story began when she was prescribed narcotics for legitimate pain. Once she had experienced the numbing effect of the drug, she was unable to stop. Years of abuse resulted in her losing the support of family and becoming a felon several times over before getting clean.
This shared experience gives her compassion and instinct for those who enter her door. “We’re not bad people. We’re sick people. We do have people out there that love us. … And people that we love.”
Bliss House, part of the Center for Lay Ministries, is a non-profit organization committed to serving Jeffersonville's most vulnerable with respect and empathy. Its mission is to combat the growing issue of drug and alcohol abuse by offering a haven for women striving to break free from the cycle of addiction. The ministry's residential treatment program can accommodate up to twelve women and equip them with the life skills necessary for a successful recovery.
THEY DON’T JUST TREAT ADDICTION—THEY RESTORE DIGNITY.
Satterly said the feedback she gets from the community is very supportive, “We’ve got lots of support from the places around here that hire our girls and actually call us and say, ‘Hey, anybody there need a job?’”
While staying at Bliss House, residents must find employment, take on chores such as cleaning and cooking, and pay $100 weekly for rent. This requirement teaches the women the value of work ethics and prepares them for when they enter the next step of their recovery.
RECOVERY HAS A RHYTHM. And at Bliss House, it begins with work, community, and a sense of responsibility. After completing the initial residency at Bliss House, which includes a 12-step program and NA/AA meetings, graduates can join their halfway program, Bliss Too. Women can live for up to two years in the separate house while gaining stability. Residents have continued access to counseling resources and the Bliss House network. Many rehab models often miss this last phase, which can be the difference between recovery and relapse.
Jacqulyn Woods, the Associate Director, is an alumni of Bliss House and Bliss Too. She came to the program after being an alcoholic since the age of 11. Now sober, she helps others find the freedom and redemption she found. “I lost my kids. … Now that I’m sober they’re coming around again. The best part is that I’m able to be there when my grandchild is born soon. Without a doubt, this house is the reason I’m still here”
Three residents sit in the living room. Sun streams through the bay window as their laughter trickles down the hallway to the office where Satterly and Woods sit. “Their belly laughs are the best part. When you see the light start to come back on in their eyes,” says Satterly.
The directors walk through the living area to mingle with the women and invite them to share their stories. Rainbow prisms dance on the floor from the stained glass window at the stair landing. The smells left over from the last home cooked meal still linger in the warm air.
Shaniel is the first to share what she likes most about the program. “The best part would be the support and the love that we have. … I’ve never had this type of community before in any other program.”
She nudges the woman sitting next to her, passing the baton. Amanda tells about the hardest part of the program for her. “Holding other people accountable. That’s the hardest part for me,” she said. “I’ve been an addict since I was 8 or 9. My doctor prescribed me pain pills when my leg popped out of socket.”
Shaniel also shares the most challenging part of coming to Bliss House. “Feeling all the feels. When the numb goes away.” A haunted look passes over her young face as she recalls the emotions she had to reckon with since being sober.
Finally, it’s the youngest resident’s turn to share. Savannah is only 24. “The hardest part? Being vulnerable. I’ve had a mask on for so long. Hiding. Now I can’t have it on. I can’t do that here,” she said. A quiet settles over the room. Heads nod in agreement.
Each woman in the room has a different story yet the same themes are present. They are addicts and alcoholics. An identity they choose to carry for life so they never forget how quickly control can be lost. They also wish that the world could see the person behind the stigma. “We aren’t bad people. We’re just sick,” said Shaniel.
THEIR STORIES ARE DIFFERENT. BUT THE HOPE IS SHARED.
As the gathering starts to break up, Satterly shares some history about the house itself, “Fun fact, this used to be a funeral home. We weren’t here until 2001.” The hallways that were once filled with grief and death now ring with peals of laughter and freedom. The front door groans as it closes on the community of women. It’s as if even the old Victorian can finally rest in the refuge of Bliss House, a place where life and hope have triumphed over despair.
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Bliss House | Jeffersonville, IN: (812) 280-7533
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