Our Story
Approximately 20 years ago, while working at Mariposa Lodge (all women facility), there was an Internal Survey conducted by the first Program Director of House on the Hill, Stephanie Graham Bianco. The survey simply asked, “Would more mothers seek treatment if they were able to have their child[ren] with them?”
The facts/answers were overwhelming. There was a huge need to accommodate the parenting woman while in her own recovery from drugs and alcohol. And so it was, the original “House on the Hill” came to be. We housed 8 women and 8 children beginning on November 1, 1994 in a ranch style home (3,025 sq ft.) above Mariposa Lodge in South San Jose.
As word spread of the success of House on the Hill, the lack of space soon became a problem; we needed more beds! With much planning and the help of philanthropists Joe Parisi, John Sobrato and many more caring individuals, the now-called “Parisi House on the Hill” emerged.
- 1998 – The timeline started in 1998 to build a structure of hope for 20 adult women and up to 22 children.
- 2004 – In July, 2004, an amazing 10,000 square foot building emerged–home to more than double the original number of women and children–to rehabilitate a growing number of families referred to us for inter-generational recovery services.
- 2005 – In December of 2005, the newly built administrative office was completed and employed: 4 Treatment Counselors, 1 Clinical Supervisor, 1 Van driver, 4 Child Development Staff, 1 Program Coordinator, 1 Maintenance person, 6 Facility Managers and 1 Program Director.
- 2006 – In January of 2006, the new Infant Child Development Room was ready to break in. The room was dedicated to Myra Reinhard for her contribution to Parisi House on the Hill project.
- 2007 – In 2007, we celebrated the opening of our beautiful new children’s playground, dedicated by former Santa Clara County Supervisor, Susie Wilson.
We strive at Parisi House on the Hill to accommodate all of the agencies that collaborate to reunify children with their treatment-seeking mothers. We strive to follow our original director’s, Stephanie Graham Bianco’s, and The Wilson’s, mission: Get the parenting women in here with their children, and let them begin their healing of drug & alcohol misuse, abuse, homelessness, poverty, incarceration, legal/social challenges, and loss of their child and family.
