Ground broken for men's home

CELINA - The executive director of a faith-based sober-living facility for women is looking for similar success with the sequel, a House of Hope for men.

"We're going to mirror the current women's home," Tonya Huber said during Tuesday's groundbreaking for the Mercer County House of Hope for men. "We have a board that ... basically will umbrella both homes. The rules, the guidelines, the phases - everything will be identical."

The home will be built by the volunteer St. John Builders of St. John Lutheran Church, Celina, on county-owned land just west of the women's home at 4874 Mud Pike. The building, originally planned to be built between the sheriff's office and Foundations Behavioral Health Services along state Route 29, recently was moved due to drainage issues and other factors.

"The commissioners and House of Hope board agreed a location on the same piece of county-owned property was a more desirable location," Mercer County Commissioner Greg Homan told the newspaper.

Also, three women who live in the nearby Silver Lakes subdivision recently told commissioners about privacy concerns over the original location.

"Commissioners have donated that ground to us so they know (drug addiction is) a problem and they've given us a lot of support for what we've been doing with the women's home," Huber said.

Huber said construction will begin June 1 and should wrap up before the end of the year. The facility will have room to accommodate six men.

"St. John's Builders are building it, and they are donating that time," Huber said. "We're looking at funding for materials only. At this point in time, it looks like about $100,000."

Officials are halfway toward that goal, Huber added, pointing out people can donate through the website mercerhouseofhope.com.

"The funds will go straight to the home," she said.

Huber said the board will interview potential candidates near the end of this year. Candidates must live in Mercer County, she added.

"So we'll probably start slow and work our way up to six (men), but I would say probably near the end of the year - as long as things are going on the right schedule and path - that we will start interviewing at that point in time," Huber said.

Many candidates may seek out the House of Hope, she said.

"This is a volunteer program so they seek us out," she said. "There's applications at the jail. Drug court has applications. A lot of the counselors in Mercer County have applications."

The home will provide a stable environment free of drugs and alcohol to help its occupants achieve long-term sobriety and independent living, and become contributing members of society. Random and weekly drug tests are administered.

The women's House of Hope opened in December 2014, in part, to help the growing number of local people fighting heroin addiction. It is operated in partnership with the county's drug court and other organizations.

Compared with the national statistic of only one in every 10 heroin addicts escaping addiction, the Mercer County House of Hope has been a success, according to Huber.

"So far we have not had any resident fail while living in the home," Huber said. "We have probably 10 to 12 girls that have lived in the home so far. We have currently four new girls in the home. We have others that are applying."

The program has worked well, but officials continue to try to make additional strides, Huber said.

"Granted we still have a lot of irons in the fire, a lot of learning to do and make it better, as anything when you start a new program," she said. "But I can honestly say that we're changing lives and making a difference."

The program aims to shape its inhabitants into successful citizens who contribute to society, Huber said.

"It's a matter of teaching them basic life skills and then helping them find a job, holding them accountable for everything, just like if you're raising your own children," she said.

Participants must stay in the five-phase program for at least eight months and up to two years, according to Huber. The women receive more free time and privileges as they meet the standards for each phase. The women take classes about budgeting, Bible study, building resumes and interviewing for jobs.

"When they're leaving the home, they've gotten their feet wet," she said. "They have a stable ground that they're ready to be on their own and feel confident living out on their own."