With Fellowship Missions closing Friday on the building at 123 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw, Warsaw City Councilwoman Diane Quance on Tuesday asked the shelter’s executive director and co-founder, Eric Lane, what he was going to be doing with it.
The Kosciusko County Council on Jan. 11 approved an additional appropriation of about $300,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to help Fellowship Missions purchase the building.
“What we are calling The Gathering Place at 123 Buffalo Street is a recovery hub. So, I’ll kind of say what we’re not doing. It is not the new shelter. That’s why I know there’s a lot of people asking questions, and we’ve kind of held off on some things until we got things in order,” Lane told the city council at their meeting Tuesday. “It’s not a shelter. It’s not housing in any way, shape or form. It’s not the soup kitchen or anything like that. It’s not for that.”
What The Gathering Place will be for is to have a neutral place for individuals who want to come and find resources for recovery, either for the individual, loved ones or family members and to relax a little bit, he said.
“We want to have this place be something very calm and inviting. So that’s really the first floor,” Lane said.
On the second floor will be like-minded agencies that serve alongside Fellowship Missions to serve the community. While the upstairs is currently gutted, there are two large conference rooms.
“I don’t know how many of you have actually been in that building - I’m going to say probably one of the most beautiful buildings in downtown on the inside. So we want to keep it that way. My wife and I are very much historical in that sense,” Lane said.
He said that’s really what it’s all for and it’ll be very inviting so anyone can just walk in and sit down.
“We’re not selling coffee, but it’s a place where mentors can meet with their mentee. Groups can meet. We’re open, if people want to do Bible studies. We’re just ‘friends meet there.’ Break down the stigma of recovery. Everybody puts their pants on the same, some walk a different path, and that’s what we want to bring to this community. It’s no way, shape or form to harm anything or to bring something downtown that shouldn’t be. Individuals that have unfortunately gone down that path of recovery need care and love and are just as much a part of this community as any other person in this community. So we really want to show that, show the rest of our community and other communities that we support everybody in our community,” Lane stated.
He said they can’t wait to open it, with the closing Friday and the remodeling following.
Fellowship Missions has been a part of the community for 14 years, with a recovery hub started four years ago, Lane told the city council. He said they’ve always appreciated the support of the community and don’t want to do anything to hinder the community, only to build it up.
“We’re working with jail, we’re working with the sheriff’s department on the new recovery program (Community Recovery Program) that they’re doing, we’re sitting on that board as they’re developing that, and this space will be a great hand-off for individuals, too, that will come out of there. But we’ve got a lot of individuals that aren’t incarcerated that need help. That people are afraid to go to certain locations, and we want this to be a place that they can go,” Lane said.
The Gathering Place will have space for children because single parents need a space to go to, too.
Local restaurant owner Jason Brown told the city council, “I own a couple businesses downtown, and I got word that Eric was doing his thing, and I know there’s a lot of thoughts and emotions and if we don’t fully understand what it is, you ask more and more questions.”
From his perspective, he said, he’s crossed paths with people in the restaurant business who have been battling “some things” and as a business owner his goal is always to help them “grow into what I think they can become. And I know that some of my people could benefit from Eric’s space.”
Councilman Mike Klondaris asked Lane if there will be counselors at The Gathering Place.
“Yes. We now actually employ a licensed mental health therapist and recovery counselor. We’ll also be using peer recovery counselors and also just recovery counselors. There will be a couple of our staff that are over our recovery. Our recovery side, we have another staff person and they will be over there quite a bit,” he answered.
Asked about the hours of operation, Lane said they probably won’t be past 9 p.m. but the hours aren’t set yet as organizations like Celebrate Recovery and AA have different meeting times. They’ve also offered space up to Bowen Center.
“That’s what it’s about because none of this happens without collaboration, and that’s what I think is the beauty of our community because we have that, and so that’s what we wanted to have that space, too, for other agencies, other people that are trying to help. They may not be housed there, but they can use the space to be able to do their work,” Lane said.
Councilman Juergen Voss asked Lane if they are going to have a space for children, and the community has a tremendous need for space for parents to have supervised visits, has he considered providing space at The Gathering Place for those supervised visits?
“Yes. Yes, because there’s also another agency that works with single moms in recovery and it’s another piece. They could be able to meet with their person down there. And when I mean a place for kids, there may be a room upstairs, but also kind of that play area off to the side,” Lane responded.
With the current brutal cold outside, Lane was asked if the shelter has been at capacity.
“We average 100% capacity year-round, so we’re now well above. We start Nov. 1 through the end of March, and the first night we had six extra guests that night and now last night might have been 12, four of which are children under the age of 10. So, there’s other plans for that, so we’ve seen it,” he answered.
There was some discussion about people living and sleeping in their cars and if there’s a place where people can safely park their vehicles in town to sleep. Lane said that while he didn’t want to speak on Walmart’s behalf, they do welcome that, but he encourages people to get into a place due to the risk of sleeping in a car.
“If you find someone, you can always have them call,” Lane said.
Mayor Jeff Grose told Lane he appreciated his continued efforts to do what he does.
Lane thanked the city, mayor and city council for their continued support.
For more on Fellowship Missions, visit their website at https://fellowshipmissions.net/.