On Sept. 29, Marshall Health opened Hope House, a new 4,181-square-foot transitional living facility for women and their children as they complete their recovery program at Project Hope for Women and Children and work toward permanent jobs and housing.
“We want to continue to support these ladies as they balance re-entering the workforce and caring for their families, while pursuing recovery,” said Beth L. Hammers, M.B.A., chief executive officer of Marshall Health. “Hope House allows them to ease back into a normal routine while juggling additional responsibilities before they begin living independently.”
Located at 1332 Huntington Avenue near Marshall University’s health sciences campus, Hope House features four two-bedroom, furnished apartments on the top two floors as well as a group meeting space for ongoing therapy sessions.
After completing the residential addiction treatment program at Project Hope for Women and Children, clients have the option to continue at Hope House for up to an additional six months. During this period, they may start attending classes at a trade school or college or work full- or part-time. Family navigators also continue to work with Hope House residents to help them find safe housing options when they move to live on their own.
“The transition from residential treatment into the early stages of recovery presents many challenges and distractions,” said Jessica Tackett, M.A., director of Project Hope for Women and Children. “By creating a supportive, safe environment we can help continue to support our Project Hope families during this transition period.”
Renovation funding for Hope House was provided by the Ryan Brown Addiction Prevention and Recovery Fund through the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. Program funding was provided by the Pallottine Foundation of Huntington. A number of local businesses, including Ashley Furniture HomeStore in Barboursville, Value City Furniture in Huntington and Walmart SuperCenter #2244 provided discounts on furniture, appliances and other household items purchased to furnish the units.
Project Hope for Women and Children opened in December 2018 in partnerships with the Huntington City Mission. The program has served more than 45 families, and 23 women have completed the intensive six-month recovery program to date.
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Photo: From left, Judy Watters, department administrator for family medicine; Tennyson Thornberry, store manager for Walmart Supercenter #2244; and Beth Hammers, CEO of Marshall Health at the opening of Hope House in Huntington.