100 Women Who Care give Jess’ House a financial boost
From left, 100 Women Who Care of the Mid-Ohio Valley group members Jessica Huffman, Angie Reich, Danielle Allphin, Jess’s House co-founder Jan Stuckey, Jess’s House graduates Jennifer Lego and Kanda Henry, and 100 Women Who Care group members Megan Thieman and Stacey Hall pose with the winning check at their quarterly meeting. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)
From left, Jess’s House graduate Jennifer Lego, co-founder Jan Stuckey, and graduate Kanda Henry speak to attendees of the 100 Women Who Care of the Mid-Ohio Valley at their quarterly business meeting Thursday. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)
Attendees at the quarterly 100 Women Who Care of the Mid-Ohio Valley meeting dined on The Original Pizza Place, who catered the meal and sponsored the event. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)
From left, 100 Women Who Care of the Mid-Ohio Valley group members Jessica Huffman, Angie Reich, Danielle Allphin, Jess’s House co-founder Jan Stuckey, Jess’s House graduates Jennifer Lego and Kanda Henry, and 100 Women Who Care group members Megan Thieman and Stacey Hall pose with the winning check at their quarterly meeting. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)
From left, Jess’s House graduate Jennifer Lego, co-founder Jan Stuckey, and graduate Kanda Henry speak to attendees of the 100 Women Who Care of the Mid-Ohio Valley at their quarterly business meeting Thursday. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)
Attendees at the quarterly 100 Women Who Care of the Mid-Ohio Valley meeting dined on The Original Pizza Place, who catered the meal and sponsored the event. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)
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MARIETTA -- Jess' House, a nonprofit transitional living place for women in Marietta, was awarded $6,425 during the quarterly 100 Women Who Care of the Mid-Ohio Valley meeting.
Jess's House co-founder Jan Stuckey said the organization plans to use the money to help graduates with costs that come with starting living independently, contributing to their first month's rent and purchasing furniture such as couches and beds.
"It's scary to move out on your own with nothing," she said.
Stuckey said co-founder Shay Walters called her in fall 2022 saying she'd found a house and wanted to use it as a place for women to live while undergoing treatment for substance abuse.
"She saw a need for sober living in Washington County. She's been working as Peer Support for Peer Solutions," she said.
Stuckey agreed, having lost her sister Jessica, to a drug overdose. She and Walters agreed to name the nonprofit Jess's House in Jessica's honor and vowed to help others. They welcomed their first resident on Feb. 14.
Two graduates from Jess' House, Jennifer Lego and Kanda Henry, also spoke about the positive impacts the organization had on their lives.
"This is the most beneficial place I've ever been a part of," Lego said, who graduated in October and lives with her son.
"At first, I wanted to go back to jail because this is so different," Henry said. "But they were so loving and got me through it."
Henry will graduate Nov. 10 and move into her first apartment.
Jess' House, along with Good To You, a nonprofit providing affordable holistic practices, and Washington County Homeless Project, a nonprofit helping homeless individuals, spoke about their organizations' missions to attendees in attempts to win the main prize. Attendees voted for Jess' House as the winner.
100 Women Who Care of the Mid Ohio Valley group member Stacey Hall said Good To You and Washington County Homeless Project will each receive $500 courtesy of event sponsors The Original Pizza Place and Dr. Paula Galupo.
During presentations, Good To You founder Nicole Martin said she got the idea for the organization when she noticed a lack of access to affordable services such as yoga.
"About a year ago, I was running a sexual abuse survivor class. It was really important to me to offer this class,” she said. “I found that I could not find a place to house a class like that without charging so much money for people to attend."
Good To You opened in June. Secretary Katelyn Hickman said it offers classes related to treating trauma such as yoga and mindfulness.
Robin Bozian, chair of Washington County Homeless Project, spoke about two facets of the project, the Laundry Project and Drop-In Center.
"The Laundry Project is set up where families don't have access to laundry facilities. As anyone who's gone to the laundromat knows, the cost of doing laundry is rising rapidly. We work with the Retired Senior Volunteer Project, where volunteers take a client's laundry and do their laundry for them," she said.
Bozian said the Laundry Project often gets referrals from schools and children's service organizations to do the laundry.
The Drop-In Center offers logistical assistance for homeless individuals, Bozian said.
"It's for folks who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. They can come get a hot meal, get a shower, laundry, socialize a little bit, but along the way they have peer recovery support people, people who can help them figure out where they need to go," she said.
Kristen Hainkel can be reached at khainkel@newsandsentinel.com