Director of Anderson House in Readington leaves the ‘best job she’s ever had’
Meenal Vamburkar
Published: August 17, 2009
READINGTON — Joanne Furze said working at Anderson House is the best job she’s ever had.
After 12 years, Furze is leaving her position as executive director to be closer to family in Omaha, Neb.
Since joining the staff, Furze has seen the facility, a residential program for women recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction, expand and increase its capacity from five women to 14. Affordable housing for women who have completed the program but “don’t have a next step to move on to” has also been added, she said.
“I can remember coming here and not even knowing where Hunterdon County was,” Furze said. “I had been involved with other treatment facilities and nonprofit organizations prior to this. I came here because it just seemed to fit what my personal goals were.”
During her time at Anderson House, Furze said she has seen some trends among the residents who come in for treatment.
“The clients who come in have poly-substance abuses, which means there’s not just one drug, there’s a combination,” she said. “I’ve also seen a trend toward using a lot more prescription drugs than in the past.”
Furze emphasized the importance of halfway houses, especially in New Jersey, where the “need seems to be growing, not decreasing.”
The best part about working in a place of recovery, she said, was seeing a resident come in and completely transform. After coming back from a one-week vacation, Furze said she could hardly recognize one of her residents because she had changed so much.
“It’s amazing how when we change on the inside, how our on-the-outside also changed,” she said.
