Thanks to Wayside Furniture in Akron, your donation of up to $100* will be DOUBLED when you drop off your donation in person on Thanksgiving weekend, November 29 through December 2.

Where: Wayside Café, 1367 Canton Rd., Akron, Ohio 44312

When: Saturday, November 29 through Monday, December 2.

Details: All gifts by check or cash up to $100 will be MATCHED.
92% of all the funds support Restorative Justice programs.

On Saturday, October 5, 16 University of Akron School of Law students visited Lydia’s Home for a day of service as part of Akron Law Cares Day.

The program served 16 nonprofits across Summit County that day. This is the 14th year for Akron Law Cares Day and the sixth year that Lydia’s Home has benefited from this unique program.

We are grateful to Professor Joanne Sahl Esq. J.D. and the students of the University of Akron School of Law for their continued commitment to community service.

Join us on August 31 to honor International Overdose Awareness Day.

This is a day of remembrance, tribute, reflection, and commitment to help end overdose deaths and injury. It is a day to remember, without stigma, those who have died while honoring those who still grieve.  

Overdose is one of the world’s worst public health crises.

The international awareness campaign acknowledges the profound grief resulting from death or permanent injury caused by drug overdose, including that of friends, family, and community members.

• At least 5,215 Ohioans fatally overdosed on drugs in 2020 according to new government data, a nearly 22% increase over 2019 numbers.

• Fentanyl was involved in 81% of overdose deaths in Ohio in 2020, often in drug combinations. That same year, fentanyl-related deaths increased by 32%.

• More than 93,000 people died of a drug overdose in the U.S. in 2020 — a record number that reflects a rise of nearly 30% from 2019. 110,000 people died of overdose in the U.S. in 2022.

• Between May and September 2022, the DEA and its law enforcement partners seized 4.7 million deadly doses (Justice.gov, 2022).

Help us spread the message that overdose is a preventable tragedy.

As a unique six-bed recovery residence for women in the City of Green, Lydia’s Home has been a successful example of Restorative Justice and community collaboration for seven years.

Established in 2017, Lydia’s Home provides a mentored, curriculum-based, faith-centered recovery program for women in a safe home environment.

Akron’s Urbean Café has contributed more than $8.5 million in economic impact to Summit County, provided workforce development for more than 160 citizens, and saved Ohioans more than $4 million in direct costs since 2011.

Launched as a Restorative Justice program by Broken Chains Ministry, Urbean Café has provided workforce development for formerly incarcerated citizens since its inception.  

“The Urbean Café program was designed to help overcome the employment barriers faced by returning citizens,” said Dennis Shawhan, executive director of Broken Chains Ministry.

Located in Akron’s Robert K. Pfaff Metro Transit Center, café employees have a two percent or lower recidivism rate compared to the national average of about 82 percent within 10 years, and 43 percent within one year.

Pastor Bruce and Pastor Eric from Maranatha Bible Church sat down with Tamela Shawhan this month to learn more about her calling and the mission of Lydia’s Home.

Tamela shared her story of redemption and how her experience of faith-centered recovery led to God’s call to serve other women who are recovering from substance abuse and incarceration.

Tamela recalled the story of hearing Debbie Wiseman teach about how to “trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3: 5-6) and how the faith of a mustard seed can move mountains. That day in 1999, Tamela accepted Jesus Christ as her savior.

Now, as the Operations Director of Lydia’s Home, Tamela strives to help other women enter into a faith relationship with Jesus that transforms them and makes them new creations in Christ.

In November of 2021, Chuck Baldwin’s life changed for the better. Six months before, retired business manager John Wiseman had visited his bank and talked with Chuck’s sister about Urbean Café. She told John about Chuck.

When Chuck came to stay with his sister that Thanksgiving, he met with John and was hired to work at Urbean Café before the holiday. He assumed the role of general manager upon John’s retirement.

Originally from Ohio, Chuck had relocated to South Carolina in 2001 to work for Federal Express. During his prison stay, he worked as a cook at the Criminal Justice Academy for three and a half years. Prior to that, he was a certified mechanic.

“This is more than a job to me, it’s a way to give back,” Chuck says. “I like making a positive impact, and this is a great way to do it.”

Learn about our 20-year impact, our program highlights, and how our donors, sponsors, and volunteers make a difference in the communities where we live, work, and play.

We are deeply grateful for the accomplishments we celebrate during our 20th year.

• 300 Discipleship Program graduates.

• 60,000 Bibles, New Testaments, and spiritual references distributed.  

• 19,000 Chaplain and volunteer visits, both in-person and virtual.

• 80,000 Chaplain assistance responses.

• 1,500 Bible Study sessions & Chapel services.

• 20,000 Volunteer hours.

Learn more about our Restorative Justice programs and our new Sponsorship Program.

In December 2023, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office decided not to renew our partnership and office location within the Summit County Jail.

Our collaborative partnership with the Summit County Jail stretches back to 1995. As a result of this change, we were presented with new challenges and opportunities.  

Learn how we are expanding existing community partnerships and forging new relationships to serve five correctional facilities and reach more recovering citizens than ever.

Kurt and Renee Cox serve as mentors, chaplains, and volunteer coordinators. They play a vital role in fulfilling our mission. Once a client has completed his or her sentence and met the legal requirements for release, we serve as advocates and liaisons to help them with necessary services for reentry.

In the last 20 years, we have helped thousands of returning citizens in cooperation with countless community partners. Thank you, Kurt and Renee, for your years of dedicated service.