Center that helps men battling addiction receives upgrades

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A building dedicated to helping others heal is going through some healing of its own.

The Refuge, a non-profit which helps men battling drug and alcohol addictions, has owned a building along Sullivant Avenue for almost 10 years. 

The non-profit calls the building, "The Hub." It's a residential building for some of the men being helped by The Refuge. It also houses additional programming.

“This is a place where a lot of the stuff happens on the ground, a lot of the change happens in this building," said Austin Hill, Associate Director of The Refuge.

He said a lot of healing happens at "The Hub." Meals and discussions are shared there. It's currently under construction.

“It’s just a giant facelift for us," Hill said. 

Major repairs are being done to the balconies outside. Windows, doors and lighting are being replaced, according to Hill. A new kitchen is also being built. 

“So having a nice place to be, having a safe clean place to be, it makes it easier and opens up more opportunities for us to connect deeper with guys and they’re able to bring out more things and heal faster," Hill said.

The $1.4 million dollar project is being funded by a Community Development Block Grant. Hill said it will also help the surrounding area.

"What we want and value with this facility is we don't want it to feel like a facility, we want it to feel like a home," Hill said. "This building being remodeled is like this another standing example of us wanting to give hope and not just for the people here like in the ministry, the men receiving services here, but to the community around us so it is bigger than just us."

The work is expected to be completed in early 2024.