Our 12-month residential program at our Upstate New York Women’s Home provides hope, healing, and a future to those who struggle with addiction or any life-controlling issues. We work with women ages 18 and up through their journey to sobriety. Women that come to our program not only receive a holistic approach to recovery from life-controlling problems, but they also acquire a new value system that honors family, takes responsibility for their community, cultivates a positive work ethic, and helps them become productive healthy members of society.

We are excited to announce that our future Women’s Home will be launching in November 2024. Located in East Syracuse, NY, our Women’s Home sits on a 2-acre beautiful piece of property. The 6,000 sq. ft home will house up to 12 residents. Our Women’s Center will provide women with a secure and stable environment where they can find and experience freedom from addiction.

Residents receive daily biblical academic studies, church services three days a week, vocational training, mentoring, local church involvement, and daily chapel services. Leadership training is built into the program and every resident who graduates leaves with a GED. Aftercare planning is assessed and individualized for each resident. Continuing options beyond the program are apprenticeship opportunities and re-entry housing.

Our licensed counselors work with the residents in one-on-one and group sessions once a week to assist in their journey of recovery and to treat the various mental and emotional disorders and behavioral challenges that may present themselves.

At Upstate New York Women’s Home we are committed to demonstrating how valuable every resident is to God by providing a clean, well-furnished, and home-like environment to live in, where each resident may experience God’s saving grace, redeeming love, and transforming power.

Our Upstate New York Women’s Home is overseen by Director Rashad Hamdan, who has served the ministry of New York Adult & Teen Challenge since 2016.

Deb McDonald

Senior Director, Adult & Teen Challenge Women’s Homes

When Deb heard of her friend Jacqui Strothoff’s long awaited vision for a women’s home, the beauty of God’s plans for her life truly began to unfold. Together, they found the house on Elmwood Avenue that would eventually become the first Adult & Teen Challenge Northeast Women’s Home.

Since the doors of the Adult & Teen Challenge Women’s Home opened in 1994, Deb’s heart has been for the women of this ministry. Throughout her 30 years of service, she has had the privilege of witnessing the miraculous power of God to transform lives in the face of addiction. It has been a tremendous honor and blessing to serve the ministry of Adult & Teen Challenge and she is constantly reminded of the Lord’s faithfulness because while using her to nurture broken women, He ministers to her own heart as a mother who has lost her son to an accidental overdose.

Deb lives in North Providence with her faithful companion; her dog Gloobie.  Both her eldest son, JoJo, and Joe, her husband and love of her life for 50 years have gone on to be with the Lord. Deb bravely continues on with her two loving and supportive adult sons, Tony and Mikey, his wife Gianna, and (much to Deb’s joy!) their new baby daughter, Lily Grace!

Contact via email: dmcdonald@atcnortheast.org