"Representatives from the Home Builders Association of Lexington (HBAL) joined Mayor Teresa Isaac and other government officials earlier this month in rededicating a new facility designed to make substance abuse treatment a family affair for local teenagers.
In a joint public-private effort, Lexington's Coleman House underwent an extensive three-month renovation and remodeling effort starting in September to meet its new mission. The building, which was formerly a dormitory-style emergency shelter for children, will bring together numerous local service agencies under one roof to offer substance abuse treatment to teenagers and assorted mental health services to their families.
The organizers knew the house needed some work. However, it wasn't until they asked the HBAL for help that they understood the full scope of the project - and the willingness of their private and public sector partners to roll up their sleeves.
More than 30 HBAL members pitched in with both skilled and unskilled labor to meet the tight deadline, providing more than $200,000 in goods and services toward the building's renovation. In addition, numerous employees of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, from those in the central purchasing department to the streets, roads and forestry division, pitched in to move the project forward swiftly, said Alayne White, commissioner of social services.
"It wasn't business as usual," said Wanda Bertram, executive director of LexLinc, which was contacted by the city to assist in coordinating the project and recruiting help. "They stepped out of their normal modes of operation and made this happen."
Under the direction of Janet Royer, who serves as chair of community service for the HBAL's Sales and Marketing Council, the association organized subcontractors and volunteers to complete a variety of major and minor repairs, from foundation repair to painting. More than just transforming the former dormitory into office space, the project also called for a comfortable, homelike environment, which was supplied through the volunteer efforts of decorator Lynette White of the interior design company Dècor and You, Royer said.
"We just kept working in a methodical manner, and just started at the top and worked our way down," said Royer, who is also a Realtor with Realty World, Mays and Associates. "I have never felt like it couldn't be done. I just had absolute confidence."
The HBAL has been involved in smaller community service projects and also played a role in this year's My Kentucky Home Remodeled joint effort with local realty and interior design groups, but this is the largest initiative that the group has undertaken independently, said Todd Johnson, executive vice president of the HBAL. While the initial request for the HBAL's assistance was limited, Royer and the HBAL staff members recognized the necessity for additional services, and they stepped up to fill the void, Johnson said.
"Janet saw the need for a lot more and was able to get those people pulled together to get some really significant improvements done to this building, both structurally and cosmetically," Johnson said.
White said that once the project was underway, the Coleman House's future was not in doubt for her.
"I had faith that if we could get the funding for the program piece, that there are wonderful, wonderful people in this community that would volunteer to help with the facility," White said. "Everybody is committed to the mission of this program, and I think that's why so many turned out."
Partnering agencies that will offer services at the Coleman House include Chrysalis House, Inc., Family Counseling Services, Inc., The Nest, Teen POP/Bluegrass Comprehensive Care Center and the Lexington/Fayette Urban County Government's Division of Youth Services.
It's an extremely powerful example to see a whole sector of our community take on the real problems that plague our community," Bertram said. "And the problems don't just belong to the government; they belong to us all. They get that."
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