Myrover-Reese Recovery Homes held a groundbreaking ceremony on Nov. 18 to mark the beginning of construction of a new recovery home that will expand their ability to support women in recovery. This home will offer a better recovery experience by providing access to the campus and its amenities, including the greenhouse currently being restored by Veggies for Vets. 

Established in October 1961, Myrover-Reese Recovery Homes Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization licensed to operate in North Carolina. They run three halfway houses in Fayetteville, offering structured residential living for individuals struggling with addiction to alcohol or other drugs.

The new Ratcliffe Women’s Home will be 4,429 square feet in total and will add 12 new beds. Residents of the current Massey Hill House will be relocated to the new home being built on the organization’s main campus. The Massey Hill House will be converted into transitional housing for participants of the program to move to after they’ve completed the first chapter of their recovery. 

“The work that we do here is really important… we are a place who help people that wouldn’t have help otherwise, who don't have access to treatment otherwise,” shared Myrover-Reese Recovery Homes Board Chair Dixon Soffe.

The recovery program at the facility is designed to be flexible and individualized. Residents begin in a 24-hour supervised house, staying anywhere from 90 days to six months, depending on their unique needs and recovery progress. There is a counselor on site who provides case management and tailors the support to each resident’s situation and goals. After the initial phase, residents can move to a transitional house, where they may stay until they are ready and prepared for independent living. The focus is on supporting each resident until they are stable and comfortable enough to transition out. This groundbreaking event and expansion of facilities will allow Myrover-Reese to serve a greater number of community members in need of these valuable services. 

Veggies for Vets, a program with Off-Road Outreach, is currently renovating the greenhouses on the Myrover-Reese campus through the Lowe's Hometown Heroes Project and Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation, further improving the amenities available to residents in recovery. 

Over the past six months they have been clearing land, replacing plastic and shade cloth coverings on the old greenhouses, landscaping, building greenhouse tables and an arbor. 

“When I came over here and I saw these greenhouses, and I saw that they had kind of been abandoned for many years, I thought, well, we can't have that, because this is a really special place. You come over over for recovery. You're supervised 24 hours. You need something to do with your hands, right? You need something therapeutic to do with your hands. You need to be outdoors, because outdoors is healing,” shared Executive Director and Founder of Off-Road Outreach Stacey Buckner. 

All of the vegetables grown in the greenhouse will go directly to the kitchen at Myrover-Reese, donated to food pantries, distributed to Veterans facing food scarcity or sold to support the sustainability of the program. 

There will also be a farmer's market on site that will be open on certain days where folks can come from the community and purchase produce grown in the greenhouses. They have support from the Cape Fear Botanical Garden and FTCC as well to fuel this effort. 

They have also cleared a Serenity Trail so residents in recovery there will have an outdoor space to reflect and enjoy the scenery.

The greenhouses are expected to open in the spring for business. The Ratcliffe Women’s Home is expected to be fully constructed by late spring 2026. 

These project reflects the collaborative efforts of community organizers, business leaders and local government working together.