With few options and clinging to meagre hope, Melinda Gettys found respite, a temporary home and a chance to rebuild her life.

Gettys discovered her haven in Rita’s House, a new transitional housing program offered by the nonprofit Catholic Community Services.

The newly remodeled home on Lea Hill opened in December to serve homeless women being released from jail or recovery programs.

For Gettys, it was the right place at the time. She was homeless, served jail time and struggled with drugs but came clean.

Now, she has rediscovered good health and the prospect of landing a job.

“It’s a wonderful program,” she said. “Being in a transitional house is an opportunity to get your life together, your finances together.

“It’s a warm, friendly place with great people, great staff. They made me feel welcome,” she added. “It’s like a blessing for me. I wanted to get my life in order, get my life back together. And now I know where I’m going to lay my head at night.”

Gettys is one of three to four residents at Rita’s House, a program that provides a home and support services for single women in recovery. The goals, said Brandy Tierney, the center’s program mananger, are to help the women stay sober, build stable lives and find permanent housing.

Qualified residents must be 18 or older, homeless and enrolled in outpatient treatment.

Ideally, women become independent and self-sufficient after two years in the program.

“One has a preconceived idea of what a shelter looks like,” Tierney said. “You walk through the doors here, and that’s not what you see. It’s not just a place to lay your head, but a place to start all over.”

Rita’s House is a sister program to the successful Katherine’s House in Kent, which has served 119 women since it opened in 2001. Each house can serve six women at a time.

Tierney started as a case worker at Katherine’s House when it began, and has since managed both places. She has seen a greater demand for such services.

“The need is huge,” Tierney said. “Every day, there are women being released from jails and treatment facilities with no place to go. Now, in South King County, we can provide a home for 12 of these women so they don’t have to go directly to the shelter or straight to the streets or straight to the car.”

The success of Katherine’s House helped pave the way for a second home. Connections, a community-based group that provides 25 percent of the operating budget of Katherine’s House each year, also raised 25 percent of the operating cost for Rita’s House.

“They’re very dedicated to the cause of helping these women,” said Susan Vaughn, regional chief of operations for CCS King County.

The women at Rita’s House live as a family, sharing chores and some expenses. Rent is $100 a month, or 30 percent of the women’s income.

The house offers many support services, including intensive case management, access to mental health counseling, treatment support and medical care, vocational and educational assistance, life skills training and parenting support and advocacy.

Each woman must spend 30 hours a week on individualized goals, such as attending training, going to school or working, Tierney said.

Residents, who come by referral, are held accountable for their efforts and progress. Each house’s staff provides support.

Donations, such as bedding, household goods, clothing and shoes, are always welcome.

The house has produced good results and successful stories. At Katherine’s House last year, seven residents moved out, and six of them found permanent housing.

The program also provides a one-year after-care service.

“We live (the mission),” Tierney said. “We celebrate the small achievements.

“It’s joy, excitement. It’s wonderful to see these women make those adjustments. They grow so much.”

For more information about the program, call 253-833-5271. Learn more about CCS programs at www.ccsww.org