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Healing House

A home rooted in legacy. A sanctuary being prepared for generations of restoration.

The Joyful Woman Project owns the family home that will become the Healing House: an intimate, community-centered space in Houston where women can step away from daily demands and participate in restorative retreats, circles, workshops and wellness experiences. Our immediate priority is funding its complete renovation.

Planning and development stage

The story of the home

The Healing House is rooted in the former family home of Josie Smith’s grandparents, Louis and Josephine Smith, in Houston’s historic Sunnyside community. On August 28, 2026, the property was transferred by gift deed to The Joyful Woman Project for its future charitable use. The organization is now preparing to transform the existing home into a restorative community space where women who carry so much for others can receive intentional care, renewal and connection.

This is not simply a renovation project. It is the creation of a mission-driven community resource, owned by the charity and dedicated to its charitable purpose.

  • A studio portrait of Josephine Smith, Josie’s grandmother.
    Josephine Smith. The house was hers, and so is the legacy the Healing House carries.
  • Two men standing in front of the family home in Sunnyside, from the family archive.
    The house in Sunnyside, from the family album.
  • The front room of the Healing House today, empty, with a rocking chair against the wall.
    The same room today, waiting for its renovation.

Planned uses

Planned
  • Small restorative day retreats and intimate group experiences.
  • Healing and connection circles.
  • Educational and personal-development workshops.
  • Practitioner-led wellness sessions.
  • Community conversations and partner programming.
  • Program planning, volunteer coordination and nonprofit administration.

Current development stage

We publish where the project actually stands, and we will not put a date on anything until professional estimates exist.

Josie Smith and her father at the attorney’s office on the day the property was transferred to the charity.
August 28, 2026. Josie and her father completing the gift deed. The document itself is deliberately obscured.
  1. Texas nonprofit formationJuly 2026Complete
  2. Federal 501(c)(3) recognitionEffective July 8, 2026Complete
  3. Founding board formationComplete
  4. Nonprofit bankingComplete
  5. Gift-deed transfer to The Joyful Woman ProjectAugust 28, 2026Complete
  6. Property transfer and title workComplete
  7. Professional property assessmentPlanned
  8. Design, renovation scope and construction budgetPlanned
  9. Permitting and constructionPlanned
  10. Program launch and openingPlanned

The capital project

The capital goal will be published once the professional assessment and board-approved budget are complete.

This page will then carry current-condition photographs, concept drawings, the scope of work, accessibility and safety improvements, project phases, budget ranges, funding secured, remaining need, timeline and naming opportunities. Until then we would rather show you nothing than show you a number we cannot stand behind.

Discuss a funding partnership

Help turn a home the charity already owns into a lasting place of restoration.

Support the Healing HouseOffer professional or in-kind supportDiscuss a funding partnership

The Healing House is currently under development and is not open for public visits.