Lydia’s Home Inspires Community Collaboration

Lydia’s Home Inspires Community Collaboration

Women recovering from substance abuse and incarceration have unique needs, and recovery programs differ in the ways they help women succeed.

As a certified Level III recovery home, Lydia’s Home offers a unique curriculum-based and faith-centered approach to women’s recovery that provides layers of supports to foster long-term success. This multi-layer approach aligns with recommendations by the Ohio Council of Behavioral Health, Family Services Providers, and the Center for Social Innovation.  

This kind of program is also the most difficult to fund. And, requires collaboration with established systems of care and community members.

Lydia's Home Celebrates Five Years

Lydia's Home Celebrates Five Years

Congratulations to Lydia’s Home as it celebrates its five-year anniversary. Now, Lydia’s Home has served 30 residents, and half have fully completed the program, which is incredible. Many Lydia’s Home residents have been reunited with their children and families, obtained full-time employment, and become active members of the community and a local church family, and have transformed their lives through this program.

In 2020, Lydia’s Home received its State of Ohio Certification from Ohio Recovery Housing (ORH) as a Level III Recovery Residence, and meets national standards of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR.)

Honoring Overdose Awareness Day

Honoring Overdose Awareness Day

Join us on August 31 as we honor International Overdose Awareness Day.

This is a day of remembrance, tribute, reflection, and commitment to help end overdose deaths and injury, and to remember without stigma those who have died while honoring the those who 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. Help us spread the message that overdose is a preventable tragedy.

Lydia's Home Volunteer Day

Lydia's Home Volunteer Day

We can’t thank you enough!

On June 4, more than 40 volunteers joined us for the annual Lydia’s Home Volunteer Day. Together, we put down a truckload of mulch, 10 truckloads of topsoil, and 2 truckloads of gravel around our maintenance building and fire pit area. We were also able to put down new grass seed, fertilizer, and straw over more than 15,000 square feet of our property.

Because of your generous gifts of time, hard work and resources, the Ministry was able to save thousands of dollars that can be reinvested in our programs.

Urbean Cafe Exceeds $6 Million in Economic Impact

Urbean Cafe Exceeds $6 Million in Economic Impact

Since its 2011 launch, Akron’s Urbean Café has exceeded $6 million in economic impact to Summit County. A workforce development program of Broken Chains Ministry for formerly incarcerated citizens, the café serves up to 600 customers a day.

“Beyond generating $6 million in economic impact, the café’s less than two percent employee recidivism rate has saved Ohio taxpayers more than $3 million in direct costs,” said John Wiseman, Urbean Café’s business manager.

More than 115 individuals have achieved workforce readiness and successful reentry through this unique Restorative Justice program.

June 4 Volunteer Day at Lydia’s Home

June 4 Volunteer Day at Lydia’s Home

Join us at Lydia’s Home on June 4 for our summer Volunteer Day from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

We need folks who are able and willing to help us with a variety of work outside following the removal of a number of dead and diseased trees. This process resulted in some damage to the land.

From planting grass seed and pulling weeds, to helping plant small trees, shrubs and flowers, and helping with mulching, we would love to have you join us for at least a few hours. We also need donations toward flowering plants, shrubs, trees, mulch, topsoil and grass seed. Read more for details.

Broken Chains Stands Against Substance Abuse, Human Trafficking

Broken Chains Stands Against Substance Abuse, Human Trafficking

Broken Chains Ministry is participating in two May events in conjunction with the City of Green Drug Task Force. Please join us for these free events.

On Sunday, May 1 the Task Force will be honoring Crisis Awareness Sunday with several participating churches to bring awareness to the over 110,000 accidental overdoses in the U.S. in 2021, and 233 in Summit County. On Saturday, May 14, Dennis Shawhan, our executive director will join an esteemed panel of experts and advocates to discuss the effects of human trafficking.