COLUMBIA STATION, Ohio — A new resource in Lorain County aims to keep families together while mothers get back on their feet. Ahead of a ribbon-cutting for Trinity House, News 5 got a look inside the Columbia Station recovery housing for women and mothers with children.
In September, News 5 reported that The Road to Hope, Inc. was converting a former nursing home into supportive housing for women in recovery.
RELATED: Former nursing home to become recovery housing for mothers
The former Villa Camillus skilled nursing facility, which sat vacant for years, has been transforming into a 5-wing home for women in various stages of drug and alcohol addiction recovery.
In December, we shared the fundraising efforts to move the Trinity House project forward.
RELATED: Recovery housing for mothers garners support in Columbia Station
Trinity House is set to become The Road to Hope Inc.’s largest and second of its kind facility to serve mothers in recovery. The nonprofit operates more than 260 beds in facilities across Lorain, Erie and Cuyahoga counties.
Leaders said it can be especially difficult for mothers to balance their journey to sobriety with raising children.
“Overall in Northeast Ohio, there are very few opportunities for moms that have children and are trying to find a recovery environment to build their long-term recovery,” Jeffrey Kamms, the founder and executive director of The Road to Hope Inc., previously told News 5.
It’s a familiar challenge for Kelly Davis.
“I had had a couple years sober and I relapsed,” the mother of four explained. “It was dark, it was lonely, it was chaotic. But in my heart, I knew that I could change.”
After a treatment program in Toledo, she said it was difficult to find recovery housing where she could live with her 2-year-old daughter.
“I didn’t want to give her up temporarily, but I needed somewhere safe for us both to go,” Davis said.
She found placement at The Road to Hope’s supportive housing in Vermilion. The Village offers 12 units with space for up to 38 women and children.
Soon, more women like Davis will be able to access similar support.
“Now we’ll have the capacity to serve whatever your need is,” Kamms said Tuesday.
He gave News 5 a tour of Trinity House ahead of the facility’s grand opening, pointing out the transformation of the former nursing home.
“This is amazing,” he said. “Of what this was to what it is now.”
He estimated about 80% of the building needed to be replaced, including the roof, plumbing, electrical wiring and many of the walls. On Tuesday, workers were putting final touches on the paint, moving furniture and preparing to welcome new residents on October 10.
Trinity House will have almost 100 beds for women in various stages of recovery. All of the wings, referred to as “homes,” include bedrooms for women or mothers with children, living rooms and kitchens.
There is also space for more than 50 children, including indoor playrooms and an outdoor playground. On-site counseling and other services are intended to streamline the path to recovery.
“It’s really eliminated a lot of obstacles out of the way,” Kamms said. “And I want the kids to remember where they found love and where they found support.”
He said more than a dozen women are already signed up to move into the building, with other organizations queuing for more clients. The additional housing will be available shortly after the Lorain County Crisis Center opens its doors on Wednesday, and women seeking emergency help there may be able to transition to recovery housing at Trinity.
Davis said she looks forward to seeing the difference the housing will make for other women. She wants her story to be an example of hope and determination for her children, especially her young daughter.
“I try to instill in her daily that if you can’t do something the first time, try it again,” she said.
Guests can tour Trinity House and speak to staff during an open house on Wednesday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at 10515 E River Rd., Columbia Station. A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for 1 p.m.
