BUCYRUS — Josh Keith isn’t one to cry, not even at funerals.
But the Bucyrus home improvement contractor said he got a little misty-eyed while cutting a giant red ribbon in front of Magnolia House, located at 300 Plymouth St.
Keith spent months restoring the historic two-story home behind him. But Magnolia House was about much more than a project or a paycheck.
It’s a place designed for healing and hope.
Magnolia House is owned by Together We Hurt, Together We Heal, a non-profit organization aimed at addiction education, awareness, prevention and treatment.
The home will provide safe, affordable housing for people in recovery. The two units will be rented to people who are employed, have completed at least six months in an intensive outpatient program and working towards family reunification.
TWHTWH operates two recovery homes where residents receive treatment and support. One houses five women; the other houses five men.
But opening a family home has been a goal for TWHTWH staff for several years.
Having safe, affordable housing is important for recovery. But finding such housing is difficult in north central Ohio, regardless of the additional challenges those in recovery face.
Mary Jo Carle said she’s seen residents leave recovery housing over the years and struggle to find a safe, affordable place to live with their kids.
“When children’s services is involved, there has to be a certain amount of rooms for kids to be able to come back to the parents,” said Carle, TWHTWH’s program coordinator.
“A lot of people struggled with finding affordable housing where they had enough rooms to get their kids back.”
House was restored by a local contractor living in recovery
Keith purchased the Plymouth Street home in 2022.
Local records show it was the first house in the city of Bucyrus tapped for indoor plumbing — in 1884. Over the years, the once magnificent property had fallen into disrepair.
“The house was in shambles,” Keith recalled. “Wallpaper from the 40s and 50s … plaster was falling down in lots of places.”
His original intention was to restore and sell the historic property as a single family home. Then he heard TWHTWH was looking for a duplex.
“He had the downstairs done and he was like, ‘I’m at the point now where I can turn it into a duplex, if that’s what we want to do,'” Crawford said. “We talked about it with the board and decided that, ‘Yes, this is the house.’”
Keith went to work on a top-to-bottom renovation, installing new plumbing, wiring and windows. The restoration took about a year longer than expected, but Carle said it was worth the wait.
“We didn’t care because we wanted it to be something that’s going to last forever,” she said.
For Keith, the restoration was personal. He spent six years in prison for drug-related offenses and is currently 11 years sober.
“I know what these people are going through. I’ve been there. They deserve the same shot at recovery that I have,” he said.
“Just to know that people in recovery have a chance to have their family back … I hope they take a hold of it.”
‘We want the whole family to heal’
Magnolia House has two units, each with two bedrooms and a full bathroom. Rent is $900 with all utilities included.
Residents can sign a year lease, with the potential to extend that lease for an additional six months.
TWHTWH will provide resident support, but visits from staff will be less frequent than they are for traditional recovery homes.
Ashley Crawford, the organization’s recovery housing coordinator, said staff will probably check in with residents about once a week, offering support and recommendations as needed for resources in the community.
“We want them to continue their 12-step meetings, working with their sponsors. We want them to still engage in outpatient services with their counselor,” Carle said.
“We’re strongly encouraging them to engage their kids in counseling because the children have been affected also,” she added. “We want the whole family to heal.”
