Lennon Recovery House renovations continue with community support

A recovery facility that will helppeople with mental health and addictions issues transition back into the community is still working towardopening its doors.

The former BelcourtCentre building inSouthRustico, P.E.I., is being renovated and transformed into the Lennon Recovery House.

"We have been very busy," said Dianne Young, founder ofthe Lennon Recovery House Association. "It has been a real challenge for sure, but that being said, it has been great."

The former BelcourtCentre was donated to the associationby theDiocese of Charlottetown.

Young saida lot of work has been done to the building over the the past few months and some upgrades to two stairwells is all that's left now to get thehouse up to code.

A place of transition

Young said that she had originally wanted the recovery house to open inNovember, but now has her sights set on July.

It will be a place for people to stay for longer than a monthafter completing treatment.

Young began work on theproject in memory of her son, who died in 2013.

He had been dealing withmental health issues anddrug addiction.

Help from across the Island

"We have gotten tremendous support from communities and people that have had similar circumstances as my son's death," Young said.

"We've actually had $107,000worth of money donated and so that has covered all the costs of what we have done so far."

Young said that there is some work left, but provincial funding will be required to get the doors open.

"So we are going to have to have money for staff, money for food, money for the beds for people to come and stay because it is going to cost quite a bit," Young said.

"We have been under negotiations and we have had a couple of meetings and they were very positive meetings and so Ifeel very positive that government is on our side."

Government continuing discussions

In an emailed statement to CBC, a spokesperson for theDepartment of Health and Wellness said discussions will continue with the leadership of Lennon Recovery House.

"The Province has already put measures in place to financially support Lennon House through our SkillsPEI program for staffing supports and additional funding through Rural and Regional Development for capital costs," saidthe statement.

The statement went on to say the government is still in discussion withLennon RecoveryHouse about what services and care the facility will provide, noting the province already provides "extensive" addiction services through Health PEI.

Young saidshe is optimistic that the Lennon Recovery House will soon behelpingothers.

"It has been very heartwarming," she said. "It is overwhelming sometimes because of all the donations and the people, the communities that have pulled together to make this happen because I could never do this on my own."

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