Latest news with #'sPlace
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
FOX8 gets 1st look inside new sober living center in Asheboro: ‘Labor of love'
ASHEBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — Susan Hunt runs Keaton's Place in honor of her son, who died from a fentanyl overdose. It's a place for people who are addicted and their families to get resources 24/7. Now, Hunt is ready to take the next step with a brand-new facility to help people in recovery. 'It still hasn't sunk in. We are ready to open. It has been a labor of love,' Hunt said. It's a home on Fayetteville Street in Asheboro. Inside, everything is brand new, thanks to the generosity of the community. Hunt wanted to make sure that even though clients are coming from rehab, those men know they are not just former addicts. They are people who are worthy of a bright future. 'It was a big, huge open room, and we have added five bedrooms,' Hunt said. 'We are just trying to make people successful and get them back to the world they left before they started using drugs and alcohol.' This is not a treatment facility. All the men who live in the facility will be sober. Some will be sober after treatment, and some while they wait for a bed to open to get treatment. 'A lot of times they have known each other on the street or heard about each other, and they say …. 'If you can do this, I know I can do it. It gives them hope,'' Hunt said. Up to 15 men and a full-time house manager can live in the space, but it's more than just a place to sleep. 'We are recovering out loud. This is not going to be a quiet little house where everybody just sits on the front porch and smokes. This is not that. They are going to be out in the community, doing service work,' Hunt said. It will be a revolving door for people to come, stay, get a job, obtain a license, enroll in classes, or take any other necessary steps to move forward. Which is in the name Keaton's Next Step. It's a branch off of Hunt's original organization, Keaton's Place, in honor of her son. 'When you lose a child, I just wanted to curl up and die, so for this to be here is a miracle from God. It is the affirmation I am right where I am supposed to be,' Hunt said. The applications for referrals are out now. Hunt expects men to move in on the exact day she lost her son six years ago. 'This is crazy … That is Keaton. He sends us signs all the time, and God has led us through this,' Hunt said. A space like this is much needed. Hunt said she has already gotten calls from people as far as South Carolina, but the priority will go to Randolph County residents first. The official grand opening will happen sometime in August. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Four MPs visit North East baby hospice struggling to survive on local fundraising
Zoe's Place baby hospice in Middlesbrough welcomed four local MPs as they highlighted the need for greater financial support to sustain and expand its services. Anna Turley (MP for Redcar), Luke Myer (MP for Middlesbrough South and Cleveland), Andy McDonald (MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East), and Chris McDonald (MP for Stockton North) visited the hospice to witness firsthand the essential care provided to some of the region's most vulnerable children. MPs around the table with the leadership team of Zoe's Place Middlesbrough (Image: ZOE'S PLACE) The visit, on Friday (February 7), provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges faced by the hospice, particularly around funding and long-term sustainability, to ensure families continue to receive the vital care they rely on. With 70 per cent of its income dependent on local fundraising, Zoe's Place, like many other children's hospices, faces growing financial pressures. The announcements in last year's Budget of increased Employers NI and minimum wage costs mean that they cannot increase their opening hours, leaving families waiting for the specialist care they desperately need. MPs with Joan Stainsby Exec Trustee (Image: ZOE'S PLACE) While demand for its services remains high, funding constraints mean the hospice cannot currently recruit additional staff, thereby limiting its capacity to offer more support to families in the region. Despite these challenges, Zoe's Place remains committed to delivering the highest standard of care, offering palliative and respite support that brings comfort, relief, and joy to families facing incredibly difficult circumstances. MPs being given a tour round the hospice by Deputy Head of Care, Ashleigh Rickards (Image: ZOE'S PLACE) The MPs' visit helped highlight the need for more equitable and sustainable funding for children's hospices and explored ways to work together to safeguard these essential services into the future. READ MORE: Zoe's Place Middlesbrough needs help fundraising as Liverpool closes When Zoe's Place, Middlesbrough made a desperate appeal Annual Christmas Light Switch-On at Zoe's Place Baby Hospice Joan Stainsby, Executive Trustee at Zoe's Place, said: 'At Zoe's Place, we are dedicated to creating a warm, loving environment for babies and young children with complex medical needs. "We know how much our care means to the families we support, and we want to ensure we can continue providing this essential service for years to come. "We are grateful for the opportunity to welcome local MPs and discuss how we can work together to strengthen and improve hospice care for the future.'
