City Gospel Mission opens new building to help serve women recovering from addiction

By Tim Curtis

City Gospel Mission

City Gospel Mission held a ribbon-cutting on July 31 for the expansion of its women’s long-term residential transformational recovery program at 213 Goethe Street in Over-the-Rhine.

The new facility will increase City Gospel Mission’s ability to serve more women in better ways. The project cost $6 million and is being funded by private donations.

The program houses up to 33 women in their recovery from addiction and other life-controlling issues. The women are currently housed in three buildings built between 1865 and 1900. Those buildings will be renovated and, when finished, will allow the program to serve up to 52 women.

The new facility will create a family life and community atmosphere. It will allow for the necessary space for the participants to go from one phase to the next phase in the program’s structure, starting with intake and ending with independent living.

It also will create better meeting, classroom and counseling spaces, less crowded room occupancy, and common areas typical of family living conducive to interactions between participants and volunteers.

Lucretia Bowman started the recovery program at City Gospel Mission in 1997. Since then, thousands of women have been helped. Seventy-seven percent of 2020 program graduates were sober and in stable housing one year later.

Bowman said, “We are creating a mixed income and inclusive community that gives the women we serve new opportunities and perspectives for a hopeful future in the journey of transformation.”

Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Kearney spoke about the importance of the mission’s work. Donors Carl Lindner III and Martha Lindner also spoke at the ceremony.

Founded in 1924 by James N. Gamble of Procter and Gamble, City Gospel Mission breaks the cycle of poverty and despair in Greater Cincinnati through its homeless shelter, Diner, ??? and programs for job training/placement, addiction recovery, at-risk youth; and Thanksgiving food/Christmas gift assistance for families in need.

City Gospel Mission collaborates with 2,500 volunteers and 350 churches and organizations to uplift over 10,000 people each year, including 3,500 youth.

Learn more about donating and volunteering at www.citygospelmission.org.