Tuerk House Receives $200,000 Grant from The France-Merrick Found

Baltimore MD

07 July, 2021

3:43 PM

Description

Funds will support addition of new France-Merrick Cafe at main Tuerk House campus as West Baltimore addiction treatment center begins Phase III of $10.2 million renovation project Baltimore (July 7, 2021) – Tuerk House, a non-profit drug and alcohol treatment system serving the most disadvantaged members of the Greater Baltimore community, has been awarded a grant of $200,000 from The France-Merrick Foundation. The funds will be used to help Tuerk House complete a $3.1 million renovation project at its main campus, located at 730 Ashburton Street, including the renovation and fit-out of the kitchen and food service area, to be known as The France-Merrick Cafe. The France-Merrick Cafe will include a state-of-the-art kitchen and serving area to help provide Tuerk House clients with more healthy food options during their treatment. This portion of the multi-year project is currently in the design and planning phase, with construction expected to begin this fall. The third phase of the main campus renovation at Tuerk House will also include the distinct separation of the women’s and men’s residential wings, upgrading the laundry facilities, re-configuring the living suit and lounge areas, and creating additional private space for clinical staff and counselors to work confidentially with clients. Though this phase of the project will primarily serve Tuerk House’s residential, transitional and outpatient clients, the construction management team is designing the food preparation and service areas, dining room, and multi-purpose room to be of greater service to the greater Baltimore Community for outreach and programmatic use. “Once again, our organization is expressing our profound gratitude to the France-Merrick Foundation for gifting us with an award that will truly be life-changing for people seeking enduring recovery,” said Bernard Gyebi-Foster, M.A., L.C.P.C, Tuerk House Executive Director. “Addiction to alcohol, opioids and other substances continues to be one of the greatest challenges impacting our Greater Baltimore community. Last year, Tuerk House cared for 2,679 patients, regardless of their ability to pay, and with our continued expansion, we will reach even more. Every single bed we are able to add because of the support of our generous funders creates a new opportunity to save someone’s life.” In addition to the grant from The France-Merrick Foundation, Tuerk House has also received support for this project from the Weinberg Foundation, Abell Foundation and The Middendorf Foundation. These grant opportunities were made possible by an initial seed grant from the Maryland Department of Health. The $10.2 million renovation project to transform Tuerk House’s decades-old facility into a state-of-the-art addiction treatment center will be completed in four total phases by 2022. Phase I of the project, which created an all-new residential area and added 24 additional patient beds on the building’s third floor, was completed in fall 2020. Phase II, nearing completion, is a 6,380 square foot, two-floor wing addition inclusive of new living and treatment spaces and a new dining room. Tuerk House is seeking donations to fund the project’s completion. Donations can be made online at TuerkHouse.org. About Tuerk House Celebrating its 50th year in 2020, Tuerk House transforms lives by providing help and hope for enduring recovery to individuals, families and communities in the Baltimore metropolitan area who are struggling with addiction to alcohol and/or drugs. A subsidiary of Total Health Care, Tuerk House’s non-profit drug and alcohol treatment system serves nearly 300 patients a day, regardless of their ability to pay, through an innovative, integrated model of care that encompasses all aspects of recovery. To learn more, please visit TuerkHouse.org.