August 15, 2016 [Alyssa Platek, Cuyahoga Land Bank]
At the Cuyahoga Land Bank, we are particularly proud of our partnerships that help make a real difference in the communities we serve. One such collaboration is our work with The Woodrow Project, an organization dedicated to providing a safe, stable and supportive environment for women in recovery. Through the Woodrow Project, women in recovery are able to return to healthy and productive lifestyles, and access needed referrals for outpatient treatment, employment and mental health services.
On August 3, 2016, Cuyahoga Land Bank staff members joined Ohio Senator Rob Portman and William Denihan, CEO of the ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County (Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services), at the Woodrow Project’s Daisy House, a well-appointed, two-story recovery home in Lakewood. The visitors took a tour and met with Daisy House residents, who shared their personal stories, as well as their views on the addiction epidemic plaguing our nation. Residents emphasized the importance of access to recovery housing for women to their guests.
Sen. Portman was able to see first-hand how the Woodrow Project’s collaboration with the Cuyahoga Land Bank, which was instrumental in securing the property for Daisy House, can impact the success rate of recovery. The senator pointed out current and potential legislative actions and programming support the State can implement to help in the fight against drug addiction. William Denihan then shared the ADAMHS Board’s intentions to develop and fund further programs to support both preventative and recovery care.
The Woodrow Project, in collaboration with the Cuyahoga Land Bank, anticipates opening its second home – focused on the next phase of recovery – by the end of 2016. Currently being renovated, the Bridges to Home House will accommodate five to six residents in Cleveland’s West Boulevard neighborhood and will be funded through the Cuyahoga County ADAMHS Board. A couple of the residents of Daisy House plan on moving to the new home as they progress in their recovery. We wish all the residents of Daisy House a healthy path through recovery, and we look forward to working with the Woodrow Project on future recovery housing efforts.