The residence now features an elevator and four fully accessible rooms to introduce residents with physical disabilities to the program and assure that they have full access to the whole building.
The Grand Opening Celebration on Friday, November 7, 2008 from 1:00 – 3:00pm at St. Elizabeth’s Recovery Residence will celebrate the official opening of the building with a ribbon cutting and dedication by several special guests at 2:00pm, including:
John Bravacos, Regional Director, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development
Mayor Michael Nutter
State Representative John M. Perzel
Sister Mary Scullion, Executive Director, Project H.O.M.E.
The extensive renovations of St. Elizabeth’s Recovery Residence were funded by a unique combination of public and private supporters, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Company, the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation and Jon Bon Jovi, the City of Philadelphia, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, and several private donors. With the renovations, Project H.O.M.E. has been able to open a Veterans Program at St. Elizabeth’s Recovery Residence in a unique collaboration with the Vetarans Administration and the VA Medical Center in Philadelphia. The program was developed because of the increasing number of homeless veterans who need help treating their addictions and to help them break their cycle of homelessness.
The goal of St. Elizabeth’s Recovery Residence is to help Veterans find their way to permanent homes and and productive work; medical care, job training, employment and housing assistance are all available either on-site or nearby. Services available at the St. Elizabeth’s Recovery Residence include support groups designed for recovering Veterans and other formerly homeless men, connections for mental health and substance abuse treatmet; and case management services to help residents construct a strong support network for themselves. Residents who complete the Veterans Program and graduate from St. Elizabeth’s Recovery Residence will receive help in obtaining permanent housing through Project H.O.M.E.’s many partnerships and housing resources.
