Community Renewal Good Stories - Huntington-Ironton

Information by State  Print version

EZ Grant Helps Open Home for Homeless Boys in Huntington

Huntington, West Virginia/Ironton, Ohio, EZ

The Mended Reeds Home for Children opened its doors in September 2002, thanks to a matching forgivable loan from the Huntington, West Virginia/Ironton, Ohio, EZ.

Additional funding came from the First Baptist Church of Ironton, which raised $5,000 for the cause, and Big Sandy Super Store, which made a sizeable contribution. This support allowed the agency to purchase the property without taking out a private loan, explains David Lambert, director of Mended Reeds. Lambert then secured a $70,000 forgivable loan from the EZ to complete the $140,000 project. Generous community support and the EZ's forgivable loan program made it possible for the agency to open and begin its operations debt-free.

The Mended Reeds Home provides a safe place for boys ages 14 to 20 to live, continue their education, receive professional counseling and support, develop their social skills, and find jobs in the Ironton community. The shelter is located in a remodeled private home built around 1890-restored to its original Queen Anne-style architecture and updated with all new wiring and security systems.

Before the completion of Mended Reeds, there was no place in the Ironton, Ohio, area where young boys without the support of family or public assistance could turn for help, guidance, and stability. Today there are 10 boys, ages 14 to 18, who live in the facility, attending local schools and working at local businesses.

"The boys will learn job skills and basic skills needed in life, such as cooking, cleaning, and how to handle finances," Lambert says. The Mended Reeds Home for Children, which operates as a faith-based, nonprofit independent living center, is also licensed and equipped to provide foster care and adoption services to the community.

For more information on the development of the Mended Reeds Home for Children using the EZ forgivable loan program, please contact Executive Director Cathy Burns, Huntington/Ironton EZ, at (304) 399-5454.