The Magdalen House is a non-profit organization helping individuals with alcoholism achieve sobriety and sustain recovery at no cost and based on 12-Step spiritual principles. Founded in Dallas in 1987, The Magdalen House remains the only agency in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to offer comprehensive recovery services – without insurance or government funding – 100% free of charge.
This past year was another historic year for our agency, marked by significant milestones confirming what our founders set out to create in 1987- establishing The Magdalen House as a vital resource within the North Texas recovery community.
Although we met or exceeded projected program goals in 2023, serving more than 970 women, we touched only a fraction of the 657,000 individuals in North Texas and their families affected by alcoholism. So last year we began to look beyond our program limitations and created a plan to serve all individuals affected by the disease of alcoholism. Our new Men’s program was a bold idea and that idea has turned into a beautiful reality.
Another important goal was also reached this last year. Our agency witnessed unprecedented program success in the previous three years. And to support this accelerated growth, we launched an aggressive initiative to improve the effectiveness and gain efficiencies in each of our three key program areas. This initiative will ensure that our no-cost programs always maintain the quality of care for the years of growth to come. As we look forward to 2024, we will continue to refine existing programs and create innovative new programming so our agency will be the catalyst for the growing recovery community in North Texas.
Thank you to our volunteers, our donors, our incredible Board of Directors and our tirelessly devoted staff for your help in creating a program for men while never compromising the quality of our existing programs. Because of your support in 2023, The Magdalen House is a stronger, more well-rounded agency that is well positioned for the growing demands in the years to come.
We are certain the best years of our agency lie ahead.
Lisa Kroencke
Chief Executive Officer
At Maggie’s, we believe in offering the best programs we can in the most effective way possible. We stand by our six points of difference that drive how our organization is managed.
We keep the heart of what we do at the forefront- helping alcoholics and their loved ones achieve sobriety and sustain recovery from alcoholism. And because we remain privately funded, we are not responsible for government funding requirements or insurance restrictions that would affect the quality of our services. This allowed us to pivot when programs were not meeting the needs of our participants.
Intentional Improvements
for Better Outcomes
We shifted in 2023 to provide more specific and valuable resources for our program participants and the larger community. By intentionally producing less content and strengthening existing connections, our community and partnerships grew stronger.
Our Next Step Program, Restructured
We made significant changes to our Next Step program in 2023 to more align with our mission and vision. We saw positive growth by:
Next Step
Completion Rate
Meet Our Funders
In order to offer the best quality of care possible, our donors are essential. With their continual support, we sustained our agency budget and increased growth in 2023.
Individuals | Lance Travis
“I have had the privilege over the last couple of years to be exposed to a ton of women who have come through the Maggie’s program. I have been impressed with the professionalism of the organization and commitment to the important cause of breaking down stigmas and offering a real solution. I was honored when asked to help get the men’s program off the ground and continue to be blessed by the volunteer opportunities and whatever else I might be asked to do. The more I hang around Maggie’s, the more I am convinced that my contributions are going to good use, and I plan to increase my contribution this year and in the years to come.”
Event Supporters | Lucinda Buford
“We are proud to support the work of The Magdalen House! Our family has been affected by addiction, and the most impactful thing we can do is to carry the message to others also on this journey. The Magdalen House speaks truth into the lives of the addict, and family members – saving lives. We will always be grateful for the work of The Magdalen House!”
Corporations | John Rodriguez, Trader Joe’s
“Trader Joe’s is a national chain of neighborhood stores. We are committed to supporting The Magdalen House with our Neighborhood Shares program, in return Maggie’s serves our neighborhood helping men and women get back on their feet. Addiction touches many families, including my own. Being able to participate helping others with Maggie’s is an extremely rewarding experience.”
Foundations | Misaki Collins, Dallas Mavericks Foundation
“Supporting the Magdalen House was a no brainer for us! In backing a nonprofit with staff and volunteers who intimately understand the struggles of their participants, we recognize the power of lived experience in driving transformational change. Investing in journeys towards sobriety is an investment in their well-being, their families, and their communities.”
“I first came to The Magdalen House in October of 2015. My husband had died of alcoholism and I came 10 days after that…I didn’t have insurance at the time so I came here really broken, [as] you can imagine.”
– Patty Watson, Recovered Alcoholic
In 2023, Patty and her family shared their story of recovery with our community. Alcoholism affects the entire family and community, not just the alcoholic. After Patty’s husband died of alcoholism and Patty recovered in the following years, it became evident to her family members that they were experiencing a different mother, grandmother, friend, employee. Hear Patty’s story by visiting our website.
Our volunteers saved us over $800,000 in operational expenses in 2023.
Free Services, Community Benefits
The cost of alcoholism is intensely felt throughout our entire community and within every industry. Our programs saved taxpayer’s money and offset the burden felt in many different areas of our community & business.
First Step Completion Rate Grew
Our continuum of recovery is based on one simple philosophy when one person helps another, they are helped in the process. Our community exists to support the practice of one alcoholic working with another, providing structure to apply spiritual principles. And as a result of helping others, our entire community has a better chance of long-term recovery.
75%
Overnight
Volunteers
66%
Meeting
Chairs
55%
Community
Assistants
Of the three largest volunteer opportunities we have, more than half were recovered alcoholics who came through our First Step program. Without the dedication of these three positions, we could not sustain our budget, would close for the holidays, and, most importantly, we would not have a place for the newly sober to connect with those in our recovery community.
Overnight Volunteer
Mandy Turnbaugh
“I always try to remember how I felt when I was a client at Maggie’s and how my peers in the program expressed how hard it was to be away from their kids for two weeks, holidays and birthdays made it a little tougher. I make it a point to request the privilege of overnighting the holidays where I don’t have my kids and when I do, getting them involved.”
Meeting Chair Volunteer
Kate Olen
“Whenever I am at The Magdalen House volunteering, I always leave feeling full, useful and grateful. It is through service and self sacrifice for others that I truly feel connected with God. I can provide hope to the next woman who is seeking the solution. I am blessed to get to be a contributor at such a hugely impactful and important resource for our community!”
Community Assistant Volunteer
Nancy Brown
“When I had worn out my family and spent thousands of dollars on for-profit rehabs, I was blessed to find Maggie’s. Greeting everyone that visits Maggie’s [is my favorite part of being a community assistant]. It’s given me confidence and motivation to go back to school and also re-enter the workforce.”
Continued First Step Program Growth
Last year, we continued to provide our clients with a higher level of care, if needed, before they entered our First Step program. Our admission criteria helped us better identify those clients and by engaging with our program partners, they received the help they needed before beginning their recovery journey at The Magdalen House.
Client Retention, Building Community
The quality of care in our programs continues to improve year over year. Changing staff schedules in 2023 gave our program coordinators more time to focus on client care. Our completion rate grew from 69% in 2022 to 78% in 2023, program satisfaction increased to 96% and 73% of First Step clients transitioned to our Next Step or Community programs.
Alcoholism is a Family Disease
An alcoholic does not need to have participated in the First Step or Next Step programs or even be in recovery or for their loved ones to become a part of our Family Support group. Every relationship with an alcoholic was represented in our Family Support group in 2023. With over 100 meetings last year, there was always someone to connect with who also loves an alcoholic.
Shattering the Stigma and Providing Education
To better align our metrics with our goal of educating the community on the disease of alcoholism and our vision of building a thriving recovery community, we removed fellowship events from our meeting attendance reporting and ended virtual services in 2023. Despite this shift in data reporting and services offered, we saw duplicated meeting attendance grow by 7% from 2022 to 2023 and unduplicated meeting attendees grow by 32% from 801 to 1,186.
Staying Close to Maggie’s
When a client completes the program, we encourage them to stay close. One simple way is through our volunteer program. Each of our volunteer opportunities are open to recovered alcoholics. Of all of our volunteers in 2023, 65% were in recovery. Whether an alumna or community member, we are grateful for every volunteer who supported the recovery of the next alcoholic in need.
New Hope for Every Alcoholic
After 36 years of helping alcoholic women recover, we began preparations in 2023 to open a Men’s facility so that any alcoholic may take the First Step in their recovery. With only a 5% increase in our budget from June to December, we hired the needed staff and secured our new facility to begin programming for men in January 2024. Our curriculum, the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, is not gender specific and has helped both women and men recover. We now have two facilities where the same curriculum and programs are offered. We have our beloved home on Gaston for women and the same program for men at our new home on Caddo. We are filled with gratitude for our community and everyone who has supported The Magdalen House so we can work to serve 100% of the alcoholic population of North Texas.
Last year, 2023, was a momentous year for The Magdalen House as we officially launched the Men’s program. As a result, we now have the potential to serve 100% of the population affected by alcoholism. And, given that 1 in 7 men are alcoholic, compared to 1 in 11 women, the men’s program has the potential to more than double the number of alcoholics we can serve moving forward. Coupled with our Family Support Group, this expansion also allows our agency to help the total family unit affected by this disease.
Our vision is to grow a thriving community, and we continue to do this year after year. With the increases made to the women’s program in 2021 and now with the addition of the men’s program in 2023, the Board of Directors began looking toward a future where we can best serve every alcoholic in North Texas who wants and needs our services. In 2023, we began work on a three-year Strategic Plan for growth that we will implement in the 3rd quarter of 2024. Additionally, the Board of Directors continues to grow and diversify to support this unprecedented growth in agency programs.
The Board of Directors would like to extend a special thanks to the Chief Executive Officer, Lisa Kroencke, as well as the dedicated staff members. It’s their dedication and passion to the mission of the agency that has increased the number of alcoholics and their families served. The work being done daily, in the trenches and on the front lines with our clients, also ensures the quality of our programs holds the highest of standards. The Board of Directors is honored to support the work done by the team.
As a recovered alcoholic, I am grateful to serve the agency that provided me with the resources that saved my life and restored my family.
In service,
Tina Shuey
Board Chair
CAN YOU MAKE A LIFE-CHANGING GIFT?
When you invest in the life of an alcoholic woman, you help her family, her place of employment, and the community as a whole.