Val Cater grew up solving math problems over breakfast. Her parents — both math professors — turned a meal at the kitchen table into a mental workout for their four kids.
“I thought that’s what every family did,” Cater said, laughing. “But it was just limited to my house.”
That early knack for numbers eventually led her to IBM and then to her own tech company. But for the last two decades, Cater has been focused on a more human equation — helping homeless, addicted women find stability, sobriety and purpose through Gilgal Inc., the Christ-centered recovery program she founded in southwest Atlanta.
Since opening its doors in 2006, Gilgal has welcomed nearly 1,000 women, offering yearlong stays funded entirely by grants and donors. Women in the program pay nothing until halfway through, when they’re expected to find jobs and contribute 30% of their paychecks as a “ministry fee,” a sign they’re ready for real-world responsibility.
Val Cater, executive director and founder Gilgal, the residential treatment center for homeless women addicted to drugs or alcohol, addresses the Gilgal Blue Jean Gala 2024. The next gala is in October 2025. Courtesy of Gilgal Inc.
Cater said just over 100 women have completed the full program, leaving with jobs — and, in many cases, hope — for the first time in years.
“They have a new trajectory for their lives,” she said.
The typical Gilgal resident is around 41 and has battled addiction since her early teens. Some come voluntarily, others under court order. The center houses 25 women at a time, offering safety, structure, and an opportunity to reconnect with family and faith.
Breaking cycles
One woman, fresh off landing a hospital job, once ran up to Cater to ask, “What’s a 401K?” Another recalled how her childhood home had a house rule: Don’t throw “blunts” in the front yard.
“Weed would start growing, and everyone knew you were smoking dope,” the woman told Cater.
Stories like those fuel Cater’s mission — and underscore the transformation that’s possible.
Stephanie W., now five years sober, came to Gilgal under court order. She’d been arrested at least 20 times since 2012 for crimes tied to addiction — robbery, theft, prostitution.
“I have spent more time in jail than I’ve been free, and that’s bad,” she said.
Stephanie completed Gilgal’s program in 19 months, using the extra time to earn her GED. Today, she lives with family, holds a steady job at a staffing agency, and is pursuing a college degree in business.
“I had tried everything except God,” she said. “But this is the path he put me on, so I just said, ‘Why not try it?’”
Deborah M., now 62, began using crack cocaine at 26 and stayed hooked for 25 years. She entered Gilgal twice — attempts No. 4 and 5 after several failed rehab stints.
Her turning point came after an intervention by family, who’d already called Gilgal asking if she could come back. She did — and stayed.
Through counseling, she realized her addiction was rooted in loneliness and a hunger for connection. Now more than a decade clean, Deborah now owns a home and car, and works at Gilgal, helping women like the one she used to be.
Under Cater’s leadership, Gilgal continues to help women overcome addiction and homelessness “by building new lives rooted in Christian principles of love, acceptance, forgiveness, and hope,” said Leeshu Kennedy, the center’s director of operations.
A calling confirmed
Gilgal isn’t exclusively for Christians, but faith is part of its fabric. Staff talk openly about God. Residents are encouraged — but not required — to engage spiritually.
Cater’s path to ministry came in her 40s after a church class at First Baptist Atlanta. She trained as a counselor and found she had a gift for listening and lifting women up.
Before that, she spent 13 years at IBM and later ran a tech business selling data storage systems. But at 45, her life changed course. Her late husband Tommy, new to real estate investing, had bought two dilapidated drug houses that she transformed into a recovery campus.
She prayed for a “neon sign” that this was her calling. When a $300,000 startup grant was offered to her by United Way, she got her answer.
“It was just providence, I guess,” Cater said.
Now 65, she’s preparing to pass the baton to new leadership but plans to remain involved in an advisory role.
The work was a good fit for her.
“I have a genuine love for people,” she said. “And I also recognized I had something to offer.”
What’s in the name Gilgal?
When asked why she chose the Gilgal name, Cater referenced Joshua 5:9: “Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.’ So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.”
Admission requirements for Gilgal:
*Women only, no children, so focus is 100% on recovery
*Clients must be homeless and addicted to drugs and/or alcohol.
*Clients must be at least 18 years old and mentally and physically able to work a rigorous program.
*Controllable mental health diagnosis is NOT a barrier to admission.
ABOUT GILGAL
Gilgal is a Chris-centered, long-term, recovery residence for women experiencing homelessness due to drug and alcohol addiction. Through our one-year, two-phase program, we seek to transition women from crisis and homelessness to stability and independent living. We provide food, clothing and housing, as well as a full range of recovery services, spiritual nourishment, workforce development, life skills training, and transitional support. Gilgal as a 501(c)(3) designation and relies upon generous donations from individuals, churches, businesses, foundations, and community organizations.
