MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Mercy Manor helps women in recovery

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

Mercy Manor provides an intense 24/7, safe, spiritual recovery residence for women with histories of homelessness, abuse, mental health, incarceration, alcohol, and drug addiction. “At Mercy Manor, the women work their program, while they re-establish themselves into the local community,” explains CEO Barbara Hudson-Benner. “Our targeted population is focused on females with dual diagnoses of mental health and addiction. The residents of Mercy Manor are the wives, mothers, and sisters of families in our community. Our intake of clients come from referrals from community addiction facilities, behavioral health facilities, drug court, criminal justice facilities, and other agencies where the client is seriously seeking to maintain recovery.”

A dream of Sister M. Jean Foppe, Sister of the Sisters of Mercy, the dream became a reality in 1992, thanks to the leadership of Church Women United.

Hudson-Banner says the women are provided with a structured program and hope. “The residents participate in developmental programming, which will enable them to help them become self-sufficient through personal growth, education, skill development and/or employment,” she says. “The length of stay is determined by the resident’s needs, progress, and willingness to abide by the recovery house rules.”

Hudson-Banner says the social model approach emphasizes interaction among residents in a shared living space and the surrounding community. Since the program’s beginning in 1992, more than 300 women have been served. According to Hudson-Banner 70 percent of these women have established safe housing, remained clean and sober, and are employed or enrolled in a secondary institution or a training program.

Most recent partnership programming includes: Edgemont Community Solar Garden. “Each lady has her own garden area, for growing vegetables,” explains Hudson-Banner. “Central State University provides agriculture and nutritional classes. Montgomery County Urban Minority Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Outreach Programs offer Relapse Preventions Groups. "

Pandemic presents added challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique challenge to an organization that prioritizes peer interaction, peer support and participation in 12-step programs. “We had to function with essential virus mitigation standards that mandated awareness, such as adhering to social distancing, limited attendance in public places, and wearing masks,” says Hudson-Banner. “Health and safety have required Mercy Manor to move forward with virus mitigation procedures the best way we could to concurrently maintain a strong social model environment.”

She says there was also a substantial challenge with the inability to have the organization’s annual fundraiser since 2019. “However, in 2023, we will have our first in-person Founder’s Day Luncheon.”

Mercy Manor is a service provider for the Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug & Mental Health Services (ADAMHS Board). And a Certified Associate Member of the Ohio Recovery Housing with the State.

Here’s what they need:

  • Tall kitchen trash bags
  • Paper products such as toilet tissue, paper towels, napkins, facial tissues
  • Liquid hand soap, liquid dish detergent, automatic dishwasher detergent
  • Furniture polish
  • Laundry detergent
  • Lysol, Pine-Sol or equivalent
  • Window cleaner, Comet, Soft Scrub
  • Personal hygiene products: soap, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, body lotion, Vaseline, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair spray.
  • Alarm clocks, clock radios, umbrellas, postage stamps for personal correspondence, batteries of all sizes for personal CD players or cameras or radios, etc.

Women going to Independent Living Apartments need:

  • Floor and table lamps, light bulbs, mops, brooms, scrub buckets, trash cans for kitchen or bathroom
  • Rugs for kitchen or bathroom, bathmats, shower curtains
  • Coffee makers, toaster ovens, pots, pans, dishes, glasses, flatware, televisions, DVD players, etc.
  • Kroger, Walmart Gift Cards for food for new residents

Drop off your donations at 23 Grosvenor Ave., Dayton, Ohio 45417. You’re asked to call ahead to schedule a drop-off time. The number to call is 937-268-0282.

Other ways to help:

  • Annual Founder’s Day Luncheon celebrating 31 years of service, will be held at noon on Saturday, March 18, at the Presidential Banquet Center. Check the website for more information.
  • An annual Charity Golf Tournament is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, July 28 at Meadowbrook Golf Club, 6001 Salem Ave., Clayton. The golf fee is $100 per person and sponsorships are available. Check the website for more information.
  • Speakers are available for group presentations or additional information. Call Barbara Hudson-Banner at 937-268-0282 or 937-554-2239.

Website: Mercy Manor|homelesswomen|addiction|abuse.

Help Hannah’s Treasure Chest make Christmas special for over 1,000 children

Hannah’s Treasure Chest, the children’s charity based in Centerville, has a Christmas program called “Giving Angels “to help local children in need. This year, the organization is helping more than 1,000 children with new toys and clothing for Christmas, along with a family gift and a gift card for Christmas dinner.

The Giving Angels team will work until Christmas Eve to ensure that every child and family receives something special for Christmas – if you would like to contribute financially, please visit https://www.hannahstreasure.org/donations/donate-now/ or mail to 124 Westpark Rd. Centerville OH 45459. The Centerville warehouse will be closed for the holidays and its annual audit and reopen on Jan. 17.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Meredith Moss writes about Dayton-area nonprofit organizations and their specific needs. If your group has a wish list it would like to share with our readers, contact Meredith: meredith.moss@coxinc.com.

Please include a daytime phone number and a photo that reflects your group’s mission.

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

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