Plaid House expansion project groundbreaking ceremony (May 9, 2002).

It had become apparent for some time that the group home facility was inadequate to meet the needs of the residents we serve today. Many of the residents entering the group home have suffered abuse and neglect which has left them angry and distrustful. The requirement to share a small bedroom with another stranger with whom they must compete for space and attention added an unnecessary level of stress. In addition the group home lacked a private space where treatment and family meetings could be held and the house, built in the 1800’s, did not meet today’s construction codes. In the light of this the Board decided to renovate the existing house and build an addition that provided a single bedroom for each of the ten residents. It also offered two more bathrooms, a meeting room and handicap accessibility. Automatic sprinklers were also installed throughout the building.

The construction was successfully completed in April 2003.

For photos of the new group home space, click here.

In November 2001, the young people in our programs were visited by a panel of artists from the Jumpstart program. The group included a poet, an art educator and the owner of a design business. They talked about how they became involved in the arts and the possible career options in the arts. Following that evening and the interest from our young people Jumpstart secured the funding to produce three arts workshops with our teenagers.

The first workshop took place in May 2002 and involved the participants in creating self-portraits, which were printed on to a product of their choice e.g. tee shirt, tote bag, etc.

Since that time Jumpstart has been working with Plaid House to provide artistic opportunity to the residents. A number of projects have been completed including a wall of ceramic tiles which decorate the hallway of the group home (see picture below).

For more information on the Jump Start program, click here.