T. Whitehead Recovery Center not sitting ‘idle’ anymore

Bellman grew up in the Birmingham neighborhood. He knows poverty, alcoholism and drug abuse are rampant. He spent years abusing alcohol, marijuana and then finally crack cocaine before deciding to get sober nine years ago.

l-r. James Woodsen, Brian Slemp, Chris Krueger and Danny Edwards study the 12 step program.

Cris Krueger, Kevin Bellman and John Hughes unload groceries that were donated to the T. Whitehead Recovery Center. (Press photos by Ken Grosjean)

“I had people who helped me get sober,” Bellman said. “I was lucky and had support. This recovery center was set up to help this community in the first place. It is there to help the person who comes off the street with nowhere to go.”

The recovery center is currently working on regaining its 501(c)(3) status and is expecting to get the paperwork in the very near future. Bellman went in in April and began doing some much needed work to the inside of the building including general clean up and painting.

Currently at capacity, the center is hoping to be able to purchase an abandoned four unit apartment complex next door so 16 more residents can be helped. There is currently a waiting list for those seeking a place to live while regaining their sobriety and returning to society.

“We cleaned up around the outside of the building including cutting down trees that were blocking the sidewalk,” Bellman said “We want to be good neighbors. We are also trying to help the men who come here get their GED's (General Education Development) and if they need help getting Social Security Disability and Food Stamps we try to help with that. We are doing everything to help those who need and want our help.”

The residents at the center pay $250 per month to stay there, Bellman said, adding they also purchase and cook their own food in the center's kitchen.

“Right now we are in a rebuilding phase,” Bellman explained. “We have increased our dues paying membership to the club and we hold fundraisers to help with programming. We have received donations, but also can use more private donations to help us expand our services.”

Mainly set up for those in Alcoholics Anonymous, T. Whitehead holds 14 AA meetings a week. Bellman said they are not oblivious to the increasing issues with opiate drug abuse and the heroin epidemic raging close by.

“We now hold two Heroin Anonymous meetings a week as well,” he said. “We are trying to help anyone who is trying to get sober, clean. Heroin is all around here and we want to raise awareness of this issue as well.”

The Birmingham Strikes Back meeting will be held January 28th beginning at 7:00 pm. The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held at The Church in Birmingham, located at 208 Paine Avenue and Genesee Street.

According to Bellman, there will be presentations by the Lucas County Health Department, Team Recovery, DART (Drug Abuse Response Team), and other information on heroin and where to get help.

Discussions on the drug Narcan (Naloxone), which can reverse the effects of a heroin overdose, will also be held.

“We want parents, families to attend to understand what is going on out there,” Bellman said. “We will tell people what to look for, how to spot an addict, and where to go to get help. We have Narcan here in case someone needs it and we have a hotline for people to call for help. We want to end the deaths if we can.”

Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken, Toledo City Councilman Peter Ujvagi, Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Stacy Cook, Oregon Mayor Mike Seferian, Oregon City Manager Mike Beazley, and Oregon Prosecutor Melissa Purpura are also expected to attend the meeting.

Mayor Seferian said he felt it was important to attend the meeting to see what services are available to everyone in the area, not just in Toledo.

“Kevin has told me about what they are trying to do,” Seferian said. “This is not just an inner city problem. It is a problem in the suburbs as well. The kids in the suburbs have access to more money to buy the drugs so the issue is spreading. We want to see what the center has and, if we can, we can also help them on applying for grants.”

Commissioner Gerken said he is a huge proponent of the T. Whitehead center. He has asked the Lucas County Land Bank to flag the apartment building next to the center in February and to come up with a plan for the center to purchase the building. The building is currently under a tax foreclosure.

“I am convinced T. Whitehead has the ability to rehab the building in order to add new beds for those in recovery,” Gerken said. “They have a board of directors now and they have people on their board from construction workers to plumbers who can turn that building around.”

Gerken said he is excited the center is reaching out and getting involved in the community. He is also happy they are also trying to help combat the opiate and heroin epidemic.

“Anytime you can add more recovery beds it is a great thing,” Gerken said. “This group is reaching out and trying to help. I support them fully. They have the passion to help at a time when the opiate and heroin epidemic is showing no signs of abating.”

For more information on Birmingham Strikes Back, please call (419) 214-0345. The hotline number for Narcan is 419- 214-0354. You can also visit the T. Whitehead Recovery Center's Facebook page for information on the group.