INDIANAPOLIS — A new family center on the west side of Indianapolis is providing hope for mothers in recovery by allowing them to stay with their children while receiving treatment for substance use disorders.
Volunteers of America Ohio and Indiana and Seeds of Hope cut the ribbon Thursday on the Marvetta and Anthony Grimes Family Center on South Mickley Avenue. The facility includes 36 two- and three-bedroom apartments across two buildings, along with a daycare, preschool and free medical clinic all under one roof.
"For so many years, women have had to choose between their recovery and being a mom, and that's impossible," said Patricia Vandervort, Seeds of Hope executive director. "Speaking from personal experience, that kept me in my addiction. I didn't have a safe place to bring my children and get help."
Vandervort once walked through the doors as a resident at Seeds of Hope and now leads the recovery campus that changed her life.
Casey Chambers is one of the mothers waiting to move into the new buildings with her daughter. She's currently a resident in the main house and recently celebrated four months of sobriety.
"It's 100% the change I needed. I just celebrated four months. I have not had that in many, many years. It's one thing to be clean and sober, it's another thing to be in recovery," Chambers said.
Chambers said she's been in and out of active addiction for 17 years.
"I would not get my child back if this place didn't exist. That is a fact. I know this because we've been doing it for six years. I've went up for the termination of my rights five times. That's no longer on the table because I'm here, because these people took a chance and felt from their heart and considered mothers and children as being one and the same as being just as important as being sober," Chambers said.
The new buildings are named after Marvetta Grimes, the center's former executive director who was a mother in recovery, and her son Anthony.
"Throughout her addiction, she of course struggled and she had children in the foster care system and her son Anthony Grimes was beaten and starved in the foster care system, and it was devastating to Marvetta. So Marvetta always felt that if she had a place to take her children, that he would still be here," Vandervort said.
Marvetta passed away from cancer, but her vision has now come to life. The expansion will allow Seeds of Hope to serve 75 women and their children.
"No one else is doing it like we're doing it back here, and this is going to be amazing for the community. We hope that other communities come and see what we're doing and do it themselves because it's so needed. It's so needed," Vandervort said.
