Since our inception, GLAD House has helped hundreds of children break the cycle of addiction, manage their mental health symptoms, and follow their dreams. Some of our initial GLAD House kids are now becoming mothers and fathers themselves, teaching what they have learned in our programs to their own children so that now this next generation may also live free from the heartbreaking disease of addiction.

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At GLAD House’s formation, a dedicated group of volunteers, led by Dr. Beatrice Lampkin, concluded that the best way to serve children in poverty would be to provide a caring home for children whose mothers were addicted to drugs and/or alcohol while the mothers received treatment for their addiction. Following this vision, GLAD House received its name: Giving Life a Dream.

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1998 – GLAD House opened its doors as a residential program at St. Aloysius on February18.

Starting as a group home for children age 6 to 11 who exhibited negative behavioral coping skills, the first group consisted of four boys and four girls. The children received targeted mental health interventions so they could reach their full potential and escape repeating the intergenerational cycle of drug and alcohol abuse.

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2000 – Champs program starts

GLAD House shifted services from a residential program to an after-school and summer program named Champs. This allowed us to serve more children in a way that kept them connected to their caregivers.

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2013 – GLAD House gets a new home

We moved from the St. Aloysius campus into our permanent home at 1994 Madison Road in O-Bryonville.