TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A Terre Haute nonprofit is bringing a new recovery center to the city.
Next Step says they hope to bring a new kind of recovery facility to the Wabash Valley. It is Called FIRST, which stands for Families In Recovery Stay Together. It will have nine multi-family units, which will be dedicated to pregnant and parenting women who are seeking treatment for Substance Abuse Disorder. Executive director Dana Simons says this population is very underserved, and many of them want to quit.
“Typically they will not seek treatment because they have other children at home that they will not leave, and so now we get into a catch 22,” Simons said. “I want to stop, I can’t stop, and it’s going to spiral downward and I’m going to lose my kids and I’m going to have to come to Next Step and try to get the kids back.”
Administrative manager Gwendolyn Robins says she knows the facility will have a positive impact. She was a drug user for over 36 years and did not get to be there for her children.
“They’re back in my life now, but when I was going through this there was not a place like this,” Robins said. “I believe that if I would have had that chance, my children would not have had to grow up without me during their childhood. I just believe it’s very needed here.”
The $1.9 million facility is paid for courtesy of grants from the State of Indiana and Indiana United Way. Simons says it should be open by March, but they are still fundraising money for furniture, supplies, and other goods. The public can even help by purchasing a customized brick.
“Maybe you’ve lost someone in recovery and you want to do it in their memory,” Simons said. “Maybe someone that you know is in recovery, maybe it’s a scripture verse, maybe it’s something that you would like to have a tangible way that you can support this new project. We’ve got a huge courtyard, and we want to create a brick area for all of our donors and for the community to be able to say I got a piece of this. I’m involved and I care, and this is a way that they can help.”
Simons says they will also be accepting regular monetary donations as well.
For more information on Next Step, click here.
If you would like to buy an engraved brick, click here.
