The Cornerstone To Recovery Women’s Residential Recovery Centre officially opened Thursday afternoon as local dignitaries and Cornerstone staff and volunteers toured the building.
Called “The Garden,” the centre includes 10 residential program beds, meeting rooms and offices, plus three transitional beds for "next stage" recovery for women dealing with addiction.
Brian Hobson, so-founder and executive director of Cornerstone To Recovery, explained that when the organization was started 18 years ago, the intent was to always have a “complete community.”
“By that we mean having a men’s facility, a women’s facility and a community centre. We had the first two and this opening completes the finishing of the Cornerstone community and is so important to what is happening,” said Hobson.
Hobson said women are just as likely to be addicted as men but have one-third the facilities to support them.
“That's all happening even though the impact on them is greater,” said Hobson. “They have issues with children, the stigma is greater, often there are issues with sexual and physical abuse, so to be able to welcome our sisters into this community, means the world to us here.”
The not-for-profit organization has been offering programs that focus on community-based treatment since 2004. Residents are provided with a 90-day stay that includes a holistic program, family counselling and re-employment training.
The Barrie facility, which is located at 236 Dunlop St. W., will be the first community treatment centre for women in Simcoe County and will offer 10 residential program beds and three transitional beds.
There are five full time staff and approximately between 12 to 15 registered volunteers at the facility, which is already open and helping guests.
