Friends of Guest House

Friends of Guest House helps women successfully reenter the community from incarceration. Since our founding in 1974, Guest House has helped more than 4,000 women break the vicious cycle of incarceration, reunite with their families, and reintegrate into their communities.

2019 marks Friends of Guest House's 45th Anniversary--45 years of helping thousands of women successfully reenter the community from incarceration. 2019 also marks the year of expansion and growth. In 1974, Guest House housed 9 women. This year, with the addition of our brand new location in Old Town, Alexandria, we will be able to serve 3 women at a time in our Residential Program. Your generous donations will help us as we expand to serve more women committed to change.

UPDATE: Spring2Action may be over but you can still support Guest House. Visit www.friendsofguesthouse.org to donate today.

For over 50 years, Friends of Guest House has helped women successfully reenter the community from incarceration. Nationwide, more than 40% of ex-offenders re-offend within two years, but just 15% of Guest House graduates re-offend. Since our founding in 1974, Guest House has helped more than 5,000 women break the vicious cycle of incarceration, reunite with their families, and reintegrate into their communities. We believe in women, families, and second chances—envisioning a world where your past does not define your future.  

Friends of Guest House is the only holistic re-entry program specifically designed to meet the needs of reentering women in Northern Virginia and is the largest program in the state. While other organizations may focus on a specific area, such as housing, employment, or education, we address all key areas that influence the path to successful reentry (housing, employment, education, healthcare, and family/community reconnection). We provide individualized, gender-responsive services designed to address women's needs and their individual circumstances. 

Every year we serve up to 300 justice-involved women annually through our three core programs:

Residential: Guest House’s 24/7 residential program is a six-month program that offers a stable environment to reentering women as they reintegrate into our community. Upon entry, each woman is assigned a case manager who conducts a mental health assessment and creates a tailored reentry plan. Each case manager works with their client to find suitable employment and access health and social support services, including mental health support and substance use treatment. All women in the Residential Program are required to participate in Guest House’s Workforce and Life Development (WLD) program. The courses and interventions offered through the WLD program help participants gain valuable professional and life skills to prepare them to return to the workforce.

Aftercare: After completing the Residential program, participants move to the Aftercare program for continued case management and support services to help them meet the challenges of independent living. 

Outreach: The non-residential Outreach program provides case management and support services to women who move directly from incarceration to community housing. Case managers help women meet basic needs, navigate public assistance systems, acquire affordable housing, obtain employment, and re-establish their role as parents. Guest House also delivers pre-release services to incarcerated women, including mentoring, workforce, and life skills. 

Why Guest House Needs Your Support During Spring2Action

Spring2Action is Friends of Guest House's 2nd largest fundraiser of the year. It is the belief by community members that keeps our mission driving forward. 

Guest House residents typically arrive with little more than prison-issued clothing. Through the generosity of donors like you, Guest House is able to provide clothing, toiletries, bedding, and towels, along with a safe place to live.

In fact, $0.85 to every $1 donated goes directly to programming costs like food, housing, medical assistance, client assistance, and in-house Workforce and Life Development classes. 

Join Us for Upcoming Events! 

Del Ray Pizza Share it Night

April 9th ALL DAY 

Join us at Del Ray Pizza, located at 2218 Mount Vernon Ave

10% on all take-out orders and 15% of all dine-in proceeds will go directly towards Friends of Guest House Spring2Action campaign. 

Metamorphosis Annual Art 

April 9th from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

@ Principle Gallery! (208 King Street)

Join us at the Friends of Guest House Annual Art Show for a transformative experience celebrating growth and change through art!  During this night we will also have prints of original art created by staff and residents available for sale and our partner Fibre Space will be offering sample pieces for sale.  All profits will go to our Spring2Action Campaign! 

Metamorphosis: Friends of Guest House Annual Art Show Tickets, Wed, Apr 9, 2025 at 6:00 PM | Eventbrite