Farm to Help With Addiction Recovery

by Kent Von Der Vellen

There has always been a lack of services to help those with drug and alcohol addictions.

Due to the increase in opioid use from both legal prescriptions and stronger types of illegal forms, there has been a rise in people battling addiction, said Ron Johnson, executive director of Cathy’s House, a local residential addiction recovery program.

Johnson said almost everyone seeking help is dealing with opioid use, and it is rare that the struggle is with drug or alcohol addiction alone without opioids.

Cathy’s House is a place for men to reside while they work to break their drug habits and get back on their feet.

The average stay is five months, although Johnson added that it would benefit many if they could stay longer.

The most recent addition to Cathy’s House properties is the former Brown-Trump farm at 4092 Medina Road, Medina. Through a partnership with Cathy’s House, the Medina County Park District and Hope Recovery Community, with support from the ADAMH Board, the farm is being established as a working farm.

Cathy’s House will maintain the former Brown-Trump property as a working 32-acre farm with produce grown donated to Feeding Medina County. They are looking for a sponsor to name the farmhouse.

Forty men in different stages of recovery reside at the six Cathy’s House locations, with a waiting list of men looking for assistance.

When men approach Cathy’s House for help and there is no space available, assessments are done to determine where to refer them for services.

Those accepted to Cathy’s House have to commit to meeting certain goals and responsibilities.

Those goals include submitting to frequent and random drug tests and agreeing to get a job and pay weekly rent.

They must enter a treatment program and are held accountable for participating in the program and reaching goals they set for themselves.

Johnson and the rest of the house’s employees are recovering addicts, and a large percentage of graduates from

Cathy’s House maintain a connection.

This is important for the men going through the program because they are surrounded by people who have batted addiction and are succeeding following treatment.

Many of the men that come to Cathy’s House do not have jobs or the required personal documents needed to get a state ID and have gone years without work and have been living on the streets.

While the men obtain the needed documentation and get ready to re-enter the workforce, which can take six weeks or longer, said Johnson, their rent is covered through help from the Medina County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health (ADAMH) Board.

Cathy’s House is a recovery house not a treatment facility, which means treatment is received at different locations in the community depending on the service each man needs.

Most men attend the Hope Recovery Center for counseling. Others participate in other programs, and some are involved in more than one counseling program. It is their personal responsibility to attend to their counseling needs. Cathy’s House helps by holding them accountable.

The goal of Cathy’s House is to help the men establish a routine of work, counseling, and other needs they may have.

After completing their stay at Cathy’s House, the men return to the community with full responsibility for themselves.

Cathy’s House was established in 1998 by recovering addict Randy Jarrell and his wife, Christine. It is named in remembrance of Cathy, Randy’s sister-in-law who died from addiction at a young age.

The original house provided rooms for six men. However, due to the overwhelming need and success of the program a second house was soon added.

Today, there are six houses in Medina and Brunswick, each with its own name, housing a total of 40 men.

Johnson said Cathy’s House has helped almost 1,000 men work toward their recovery goals.

This is Cathy’s House’s 25th anniversary. They attribute their success to a close relationship with ADAMH that has been critical to their getting needed funding and help meeting certification requirements, said Johnson.

Due to the many services needed by the men staying at Cathy House, they are dependent on relationships with numerous organizations and agencies both governmental and private, as well as businesses and individuals in the Medina County community.

Sponsors are needed for their upcoming cornhole tournament on June 25.

Needed donations include money, coffee, toilet paper, and paper towels.

Johnson said another big need is transportation since most of the men do not have driver’s licenses and they need to get to work and counseling sessions, which can be difficult with 40 men going different places at different times throughout the day.

For more information, go to https://www.cathyshouse.org/ or https://tinyurl.com/mpaak69d

515 W. Liberty Street, Medina, OH, 44256

Web address: https://www.cathyshouse.org/

Phone: (330) 764-4486

Date of formation: 07/04/1998

Organization type: 501c3

Description of Organization’s Purpose: To provide a sober living environment for individuals suffering from alcohol and/or drug addiction

Is the organization’s registration status current? Yes The financial information below is from the organization’s most recent filing within the on-line system. If the items below are blank, the organization has not yet filed information on-line or they may be exempt from filing an annual report.

Reporting Year: 2021

Reporting Start Date: 01/01/2021

Reporting End Date: 12/31/2021

Total Revenue: $490,247.87

Total Expenses: $355,734.80

Kent Von Der Vellen has lived in Medina for more than 20 years and is cofounder of the Jakob F. Von Der Vellen Memorial Foundation. Learn more about Von Der Vellen at https://bit.ly/3Fg6PqQ Email him at Gems@ BlakeHousePublishing.com or call 330-421-0863. Learn about other area nonprofits at Giving Hearts

Total Program Expenses: $155,319.99

Percent of Total Expenses: 44 percent

Total Assets: $710,642.59

Director or Board Member List:

Daniel Pew

Dave Nelsen

Jon Robinson

Kaley Tocc

Kim Tator

Courtney Davis

Janet Tucket