The Hope Center, a shelter for women, has re-opened and is now serving four women.
“We got a temporary occupancy,” said Nancy Robeck, co-director. The permit will allow the Hope Center to operate while Hope Center staff and volunteers await requirements the city may impose. The temporary occupancy permit comes up for an extension in January.
The Hope Center replaced its sprinkler system pipes earlier this year.
The city is requiring the Hope Center to get an occupancy permit, which may require upgrades to meet current building codes relating to fire, life and safety.
The Hope Center must submit engineering drawings, said Lynn Wiens, co-director. That means the center needs a structural engineer to inspect the building and draw up plans at a cost of at least $3,000.
After those plans are submitted, the center will receive a list of what it needs to do, Wiens said.
These costs will accrue on top of $25,000 loan the center used to replace sprinkler pipes.
Carter’s Fire Sprinkler System and Maintenance, Inc., donated almost $4,000 in labor toward the sprinklers.
The Hope Center also got a new paint job this year with a donation of 40 gallons of paint by Sherwin Williams and 64 hours of labor from Halcyon Paint of Lebanon.
“There was more involved than they thought there would be, so they just did it,” Wiens said. Contractors from around the community have stepped for a variety of work.
Fund-raising has gone well too, Robeck said. The Hope Center’s last garage sale was the best ever.
One woman bought $4 worth of items and then wrote a check for $100.
Wiens offered the center’s thanks to the communities of Sweet Home and Lebanon, which also has turned out to help.
“God’s been incredibly gracious to us,” Wiens said.
Upcoming maintenance is required on the roof, Robeck said. The center is looking for metal roofing.
The furnaces also are 20 years old, and the center will need to budget replacements in the next two or three years, Robeck said, but the city’s occupancy permit expenses will be the first thing.
To donate time or money, call 367-4673 for further information. Donations may be mailed to P.O. Box 351, Sweet Home, OR 97386.
The Hope Center building was constructed in 1944 or 1945. The program purchased it from First Baptist Church and opened in 1990.
It is funded entirely by donations from churches, individuals and businesses. Staffing is all-volunteer.
Hope Center is a long-term women’s shelter and transitional housing facility, offering women in transition longer stays in order to make changes that are lasting in their lives, according to the organization’s purpose statement: “Women alone and women with children are given a safe and supportive place to discover and recover God’s plan for their lives. We believe that God created the Hope Center in order to give women and children the unique opportunity to make long-term life changes.”
The Hope Center provides a place to stay and resources for women who want to help themselves get on their feet, Robeck said. The organization encourages women to finish their education and helps provide job training.
People who are goal-oriented and want to get on their feet are the kind the Hope Center helps, Wiens said.
The center offers support through mentoring, friendships, Bible studies and accountability as well as providing information and direction to agencies that are able to help with education, job training and other life skills.
The center can serve two more women, depending on circumstances.