MANSFIELD — The walls of Jericho came tumbling down, according to the Bible, a work of God to give victory to the Israelites.
But the Jericho Wall in Mansfield is designed to stand — for those have fallen victim to drug overdoses, as well as those still seeking their own victories in the war against drugs.
The non-descript wall, about seven feet high and 190 feet long along Dickson Avenue between Third and Fourth streets, will become a work of art and hope this summer, according to local Rev. Paul Lintern.
“As a group of ministers, we have been talking about it for a few years,” said Lintern, who helps to head up the annual March of Prayer — 40 nights of worship and prayer, each night hosted by a different church.
Rev. Paul Lintern – Inter-Church Council/Godsfield
Luke Beekman – Mansfeld Public Arts Commission
Amanda Nichols – ProjectOne Recovery Services,
Rev. El Akuchie – Mansfield City Council 3rd Ward representative
Aurelio Diaz – Mansfield City Council 5th Ward representative
Joe Trolian –Richland County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board executive director
Rev. Greg Bibler – First Christian Church
Andy Chalk – Rotary Club of Mansfield
RoEllen Sinkewich – Volunteers of American
Pastor Tom Roepke – Linden Road Presbyterian Church
“We have prayed about the opioid epidemic and searched for ways we can respond to it. Everyone felt helpless. None of us felt adequate to deal with it,” Lintern said.
The idea for the Jericho Wall was born, using a wall next to a parking lot owned by the First Christian Church, tucked away in a corner of the Imagination District.
“All of these people who died from drug overdoses had names. They all had dreams. They all had families who had high hopes for them,” Lintern said.
“We want it to be a wall filled with images of help and recovery, remembering the names of those who have died from drug overdoses and giving hope to those in recovery.
“We want people to go there and be determined not to be a name on the wall,” Lintern said.
The group reached out to Luke Beekman, a local artist and leader of the City of Mansfield Public Arts Commission. Beekman joined the planning committee and will work to select artists and designs for the Jericho Wall.
The group is launching a fundraising campaign Wednesday with a goal of $52,000 in financial and in-kind donations.
“We want to commission our artists,” Lintern said, adding grants from the Ohio Arts Council will also be sought. “A big part will be resurfacing the asphalt in the parking lot. We want it to be a nice location.”
“We have lots of ideas. Luke is putting the word out and getting responses as we figure out what the wall will look like.”
The Mansfield Rotary Club Foundation has agreed to be the financial agent for the project, accepting donations and distributing funds. Checks can be mailed to the Mansfield Rotary Foundation, P.O. Box 3918, Mansfield, Ohio, 44907, or made through the Jericho Wall website.
Lintern said the goal is to raise the funds and in-kind donations during March and April and have the design finalized by the end of May. The actual creation of the Jericho Wall will begin in June with expected completion in September.
“The purpose of the wall is to provide comfort for families who have lost loved ones due to drug overdose, education for people as to what resources are out there and encourage and inspire everyone,” Lintern said.
