We were lucky to catch up with Rachel Labus recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

Starting my nonprofit, Vita Nova Supportive Housing, felt like a massive risk. For the first time in my life, I saw a clear path of purpose, and I knew I couldn’t ignore it. I had lived through the desolation of substance abuse—the self-imposed prison, the degradation, and desperation. I needed someone to believe recovery was possible. I needed an example of freedom. I needed support.

After five years in recovery, that clarity struck like a lightning bolt: I was being called to help other women find the freedom I had been given. At the time, I was working full-time at a major corporation and had no idea how I would start a recovery home, mentor women, pay the bills, and keep my job—but I did it anyway. One day at a time.

Three years later, another risk presented itself: leaving my full-time job to run the nonprofit full-time. The idea would not let go. I wrestled with it for months, afraid it would be a huge mistake, yet the uneasiness of staying where I was refused to subside. Eventually, I took another leap of faith.

There have been moments when the weight—financial, mental, and emotional—made me question everything. But through it all, this journey has brought more growth than anything else in my recovery. I’ve learned resilience, humility, and trust. And even in the hardest seasons, one truth remains clear: I am still standing, and I am continually amazed by how far I’ve come.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Rachel Wright Labus, and I am the Founder and Executive Director of Vita Nova Supportive Housing, a nonprofit dedicated to helping women rebuild their lives through recovery-focused transitional housing, peer support, and practical life skills.

My path into this work is deeply personal. I am a woman in long-term recovery, and before I ever became a nonprofit leader, I was someone who desperately needed support, stability, and belief. Addiction brought me to the most desolate place of my life—a self-imposed prison that stripped away my sense of worth and possibility. Recovery gave me something I had never experienced before: freedom, accountability, and community. Most importantly, someone believed in me when I could not yet believe in myself.

That experience shaped everything I do today.

Vita Nova—meaning “new life”—was created to offer women what I once needed: a safe, structured, and compassionate environment where recovery is supported, dignity is restored, and independence is built step by step. We provide transitional housing for women in recovery along with peer mentorship, accountability structures, workforce readiness support, financial literacy, and strong community partnerships. Our work bridges the gap between treatment and independent living, a space where many women otherwise fall through the cracks.

What sets Vita Nova apart is that we are not just housing—we are relationship-driven. We combine lived experience with professional standards, including NARR-aligned practices, to ensure ethical, high-quality care. We meet women where they are, while still holding them to standards that prepare them for real-world independence. Recovery, in our model, is not passive—it is active, supported, and rooted in accountability and hope.

The problems we work to solve are complex: housing instability, relapse risk, isolation, unemployment, and the lack of safe recovery-oriented environments for women. We address these challenges by creating structure, connection, and opportunity—helping women move from survival to stability, and from stability to self-sufficiency.

What I am most proud of is not just the organization we’ve built, but the resilience I witness daily in the women we serve. I am proud that Vita Nova has grown from a vision into a trusted community resource, and that we continue to stand—even through financial, emotional, and operational challenges—because the mission matters.

What I want people to know about me and about Vita Nova is this: we are intentional, we are ethical, and we believe deeply in second chances. This work is not about charity—it’s about transformation. Vita Nova exists because recovery is possible, community changes lives, and when women are given the right support, they rise.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the most important lessons I’ve had to unlearn is the belief that I could carry people through their healing. Early in my work, I often wanted recovery for the women I served more than they wanted it for themselves. That impulse came from compassion, but it was also rooted in people-pleasing and the fear of letting someone fail.

Over time, I learned that this approach—while well-intentioned—was unsustainable and ultimately disempowering. Carrying others is not leadership, it’s exhaustion disguised as service.

With the guidance of mentors and through lived experience, I learned how to establish healthy boundaries without losing compassion. I discovered that true support means walking alongside someone, not doing the work for them. When women are given both care and accountability, they grow stronger—and so do we as leaders.

That lesson reshaped how I lead, how Vita Nova operates, and how I protect both the mission and my own well-being.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe my reputation has been built through consistency, integrity, and follow-through over time. In a field where trust matters deeply, I’ve focused on doing what I say I will do—especially when no one is watching.

Within the recovery and supportive housing community, relationships are everything. I’ve shown up reliably for residents, partners, and collaborators, and I’ve worked hard to operate ethically, transparently, and in alignment with best practices. Over time, that consistency has created trust.

I’ve also been intentional about collaboration rather than competition. Recovery is not a solo effort, and I’ve made it a priority to build strong partnerships, share resources, and support other providers whenever possible. Word-of-mouth and professional referrals have naturally followed from that approach.

Most importantly, I lead from lived experience. I understand the journey because I’ve walked it myself, and that authenticity resonates with both the women we serve and the professionals we work alongside. Reputation, for me, hasn’t come from self-promotion—it’s come from steady work, honest relationships, and staying grounded in the mission.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://vitanovatransitionalhousing.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vitanovatransitionalliving/