Blessing House plans expansion, kicks off fundraising

SHEFFIELD TWP. — An organization that provides a safe place for children is looking to expand to a new facility. Blessing House of Lorain will kick off its "Be Part of the Heart" $3.3 million fundraising campaign to build a 16,000-square-foot facility. Donna Humphrey, co-founder of Blessing House, said the organization gives children a place to stay, whether they're homeless, their mom has to go to the hospital or there's a drug issue in the family. Humphrey said there's been an increase in need for giving children a safe place to stay in for awhile. That's for a number of reasons. There is a increased trend in homelessness, Humphrey said, and people who don't have a home. Blessing House is also encountering single moms who have mental health issues, like depression or anxiety. But Humphrey said the biggest issue is drugs. Sometimes Blessing House provides a place to stay to children who parent is going into detox for a couple weeks. And an increased issue Humphrey said they've seen is grandparents and sometimes great-grandparents caring for children. Humphrey said sometimes a grandparent needs to sort out health issues, but they don't have a place for the children to stay. With the increase in need, Humphrey said Blessing House just doesn't have enough space. Currently, Blessing House is licensed to care for 10 children at a time in a 3,000-square-foot house. There's almost always a waiting list, Humphrey said. The longest list this year saw 53 children waiting to be in the home. Usually the waiting list runs between 10 to 20 children, but Humphrey said the facility sees spikes every now and again. Blessing House is in two houses next to each other. One is used to house the children and then there's a 1,500-square-foot house used for offices. The nonprofit organization, in partnership with an architecture firm, designed a more than 16,000-square-foot facility that will meet all of Blessing House's needs. It would house up to 28 children, although Humphrey said the agency would work up to that number over time. The space also would include an indoor play area and two activity spaces. "It's designed to give the kids the focus and attention they need," Humphrey said. "Having a routine and having someone pay attention to (children) can be a life-changing experience for them." Humphrey said the children who come and stay with them for a period of time have encountered trauma, so the organization has a trained trauma specialists to help the children. Blessing House is also a 24/7 organization. The newly designed facility would require Blessing House to move from its current location, 5440 Grove Ave. in Sheffield Township. Humphrey said a site has been identified, but she would rather wait until everything is official before announcing it. The facility will cost an estimated $3.3 million — the current fundraising goal. So far, $1.1 million of that has already been raised quietly by the organization, and a $300,000 grant secured by state Rep. Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville, helped Blessing House get support from the Nordson Corp. "We just really want to emphasize the value of a program like this in our community," Humphrey said. "By offering families a voluntary placement, families have the opportunity to keep the children safe and then be reunited. And we help the adults, too." The public portion of the fundraising campaign will kick off at the 15th annual Rock-A-Bye ball at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, at Tom's Country Place, 3442 Stoney Ridge Road, Avon. There will be gourmet food, music, dancing and entertainment with live and silent auctions. The silent auction has tickets to sporting and entertainment events, fashion items and salon and spa certificates. Bidding for silent auction items begins online Monday, Nov. 4. The 50/50 raffle winner will be drawn the night of the event. These tickets are currently available by calling (440) 240-1851. Tickets are $130 each and can also be purchased online. Contact Laina Yost at (440) 329-7121 or lyost@chroniclet.com.