WSMV reports on the nonprofit’s difficulty since losing a residence that housed women in the program:

But the three Magdalene Homes in Nashville have become overcrowded because earlier this year, a fourth home on Arthur Avenue was torn down because it was structurally unsafe, meaning the 21 women currently in the program have been divided among just three houses. Eighty other women are on a waiting list.

“We got women all the time that’s coming out of jail that are continuing to be on the streets that we cannot service,” said program director Donna Grayer.

The plan all along was to build a new home in place of the old one, but for an organization that relies solely on donations and grants, leaders with Magdalene House said the economy has put the plans on hold.

More than $15,000 is needed to start construction.

“It’s so many other women that need help like we do, you know, because I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do when I got here, and, you know, they gave me some hope,” said Gasaway.

“If we don’t provide the resources to get these women in, we’re going to pay for it in the long run,” Grayer said.

According to the founder of Magdalene House, 70 percent of the women who complete the two-year program remain clean. Since opening in 1997, more than 100 women have received help from Magdalene House.

To donate, call 615-322-4798 or write to Magdalene, Box 6330-B, Nashville, TN 37235.

Click here for the video report.