Portage County residents who need somewhere to go for help will soon have access to TownHall II Integrated Health Services and Neighborhood Development Services. The new facility will hold a groundbreaking for its residential crisis care hub Serenity House at 3761 Lovers Lane on July 17 at 11:30 am in Ravenna.
“Think like a hub where somebody can walk through the door and we are going to meet them right where they are,” Neighborhood Development Services’ Executive Director Stacy Brown told The Weekly Villager on June 26. “If they need some food, we will get them some food. If they need a place to sleep for the night, they will get a place to sleep for the night.”
The two non-profit organizations have partnered to build a crisis center residential hub on the site of a former auction house to provide immediate aide for those in crisis. The building is being renovated to offer eight beds, an open area, a kitchen, showers, counseling space, storage and also an area for laundry.
According to Brown, a need for a residential living area like this is essential as several residents who are either homeless or afflicted by mental illness have been falling through the cracks for years. She added that the goal is to partner with other social service agencies in Portage County to ensure that all needs are addressed.
“I think it is going to be very impactful,” she added. “I think some people, for a lack of a better word, need some additional guidance to potentially get them to where they need to be.”
Although the official groundbreaking will occur near the end of July, renovations on the building are ongoing and will continue for at least six to eight months.
In addition to offering a facility that offers immediate aid, Brown said that all staff that work at Serenity House will be provided by TownHall II.
In the event that anyone walks into the Serenity House with a serious injury, wound or mental health affliction, she noted that Serenity House will immediately contact the nearest hospital or mental health organization to make sure that person receives treatment.
“What I am most excited about is that when we can open the doors and allow the people who need it the most, the most vulnerable populations to walk in and be able to utilize the services,” Brown said. “We partner with social service agencies or other partners if it is outside of our wheelhouse as far as the services go because we don’t provide those services.”
Brown said that the funding for the crisis center residential hub was obtained through strategic one-time investment funds, which the organizations became aware of thanks to the guidance of former Ohio State Representative Gail Pavliga.
Having built and owned affordable housing apartments across Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia, Neighborhood Development Services took a step in assisting with mental health recovery by adding mental health & addiction recovery to their mission statement in 2018.
“We have the tools when there is a need in the communities that we serve; we have the tools and the capacity to basically go out and figure out how to bring that project together to make it happen,” Brown said.
Once the doors open, Brown said that the expectation is for the residential facility to quickly fill up with those in need. If all goes well, things can proceed to Phase II, which will involve Neighborhood Development Services building affordable housing apartments in the vicinity of Serenity House.
