By Cassandra Penalver

Inspiration, empowerment, and revitalization are key goals promoted to the community by Dana Bryant, founder of Eleanor’s Place for Women — a safe haven for women in the San Diego and La Mesa communities to turn to if they are looking to turn over a new leaf.

Eleanor’s Place Transitional Housing opened in 2004 at a location in Rolando with one thing in mind: to provide shelter for women who were trying to adjust to life post-incarceration, overcoming substance addiction, avoiding homelessness, or seeking refuge from domestic abuse. Bryant named the transitional home after her mother-in-law who had inspired her leading up to the grand opening.

Following the great success of the transitional home, Bryant expanded her organization and opened Eleanor’s Place Boutique in 2009 at another Rolando location near the Kroc Center at 6760 University Ave. The latest expansion is a thrift store located in San Diego at 2958 Imperial Ave. that was opened in 2014.

All Eleanor’s Place staff are either volunteers, women who have court-ordered community hours, or staff from other organizations who are assigned to work there. Bryant explained that she partners with various organizations that pay their staff to go to Eleanor’s Place on work assignments.

Eleanor’s Place hosts two major events every year: a fashion show in January and a walk-a-thon in May. The January fashion show titled, “Celebrating the Journey of a Woman,” is a celebration of the women associated with Eleanor’s Place who have been living substance-free or have overcome homelessness for an entire year. Every woman being celebrated is a participant in the fashion show. Eleanor’s Place provides them with four different outfits to model on the runway in order to portray how proud they are of how far they have come in the past year.

The walk-a-thon in May, called, “Loving the Me I See,” promotes overcoming self-esteem issues, depression, and anxiety. Bryant teams up with speakers from organizations throughout San Diego who make an appearance and talks to the attendees to motivate overcoming issues. The organization encourages the public to attend the event to support the women there.

According to Bryant, Eleanor’s Place acquires its funding through the county, thrift store, and individual donors but anticipates growing in the development field in the near future.

Eleanor’s Place Boutique encourages any women in need to make an appointment to receive four outfits, two pairs of shoes, and a purse to kick-start their journey with the organization. As of now, most of the women who are associated with Eleanor’s Place have overcome incarceration and substance addiction. At the Transitional Housing, there are currently 10 women and one baby who live there — women have come when they needed living assistance and left when they were stable on their own.

With the noticeable success from all three Eleanor’s Place locations, it would not be a surprise to see the organization grow to reach more women in the future. Bryant has a real passion for not only her organization, but specifically for all the women she encounters and works with. Women have come seeking assistance and have left transformed and filled with confidence that was promoted by the Eleanor’s Place community. For more information, please visit eleanorsplace.org.

—Cassandra Penalver is a freelance writer living in San Diego. Reach her at [email protected].