When women in the Quad Cities face some of life’s hardest battles, there is a place ready to help them heal and rebuild: One Eighty.
Since 2010, the Davenport-based nonprofit has helped adults in crisis rebuild their lives through safe housing, job training, mentorship, and long-term recovery programs. This year, One Eighty is being recognized nationally. Royal Neighbors of America® has awarded the organization a 2025 Nation of Neighbors empowerment award and a $10,000 grant to provide deeper levels of care and for women in recovery.
What makes this recognition even more remarkable is the leadership behind it. When One Eighty’s founder stepped down in 2022, the nonprofit embraced a new model of shared leadership. Three women, Jenny Halupnik (Director of Engagement), Carmen Fish (Director of Finance), and Dakotah Smith (Director of Operations), teamed up. The trio’s collaborative leadership has made it stronger than ever.
“Jenny, Carmen, and Dakotah are reshaping what recovery looks like in our community,” said Zarifa Reynolds, CEO and President of Royal Neighbors of America. “They are guiding women through healing and building futures rooted in strength and dignity. Their leadership embodies our mission of insuring lives, supporting women, and serving communities.”
At the core of their work is the Develop Residential Recovery Program, a 14-month initiative where women receive housing, coaching, life skills training, and work experience. Each participant is paired with a Recovery Navigator who helps design an individualized plan for whole-life transformation.
For Dakotah Smith, this work is personal. Once a participant herself, she entered One Eighty after her own struggle with addiction. She completed the program, rebuilt her life, and today leads it as Co-Director. “Recovery is about more than stopping the cycle of addiction,” she said. “It’s about finding purpose, family, and a future. This award will help more women see that possibility.”
With the $10,000 grant, One Eighty will invest in Stability Homes for program graduates, enhance mentorship opportunities, and host additional recovery retreats that reunite mothers and children. These programs provide not just safety and support but hope for long-term stability.
The results speak for themselves. Women who once came to One Eighty broken by trauma now emerge as leaders, mentors, and mothers reunited with their children. Graduates often stay connected, serving as role models for new participants and being an example of inspiration.
The impact is deeply personal. As one graduate shared, “My mentor held me accountable, but she never judged me. She showed me a life I could build for myself, and now I’m living it.”
As Royal Neighbors celebrates 130 years of service and $43.85 million in social good impact in 2024, stories like One Eighty’s remind us that change often starts with women supporting women.
Jenny, Carmen, and Dakotah didn’t just step into leadership. They stepped into a calling, to carry forward a mission of healing, dignity, and transformation. And in doing so, they are turning lives around, one woman, one family, and one story of hope at a time.
To learn more, visit oneeighty.org.
