On Wednesday, September 25, 2024, the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce partnered with the Garrett County Department of Business Development to hold a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of Reflection House's residential recovery home in Oakland.
Connor Norman, Business Development Specialist and Chair of the Garrett County Diplomats, led the ceremony. Local officials in attendance include Delegate Jim Hinebaugh; County Commissioners Paul Edwards and Larry Tichnell; Grant Program Director Khalil Cutair with Maryland’s Office of Overdose Response; County Administrator Kevin Null; State’s Attorney Christian Mash; Oakland Mayor Andrew Sauder and Mountain Lake Park Mayor Don Sincell; Oakland Business Coordinator/Main Street Manager Valerie Stemac; and Emily Tusing from the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Delegate Jim Hinebaugh, Commissioners Paul Edwards and Larry Tichnell, Mayor Andrew Sauder, and Grant Program Director Khalil Cutair all spoke words of congratulations, gratitude, and encouragement.
“A project many, many years in the making, a lot of different hands involved in making this come to fruition…It’s just great after all the hard work from so many people to see this day actually come,” said Commissioner Paul Edwards.
“It’s a symbol of hope, resilience and opportunity. It’s a safe harbor for our fellow humans doing the hard, hard work of reclaiming their lives,” said Mayor Andrew Sauder. “May this house help build the confidence, independence, and long-term success of each resident whose journey leads them here.”
“My father grew up in this house,” said Suzette Merrick, Vice President of the Reflection House Board of Directors and owner of the property. “I’m sure my grandparents never imagined that little boy would spend his entire adult life in and out of prison, battling addiction. No one imagines that for their children but each person that struggles with this disease, and it is a disease, is someone’s child…This house used to be a party house and now it will be a place to rest and recover and rebuild lives, a place will hope will be restored.”
“This is a story that we all share,” said Reflection House President Jaimie Bell. “This residence stands right now, not when we enter people in, not a year from now, it stands right now as a beacon of hope, healing, and community for those in their recovery journey, for those loving someone in recovery, for the people who work tirelessly, tirelessly, tirelessly, both professionally and personally, to help out this mission…as we cut this ribbon let it symbolize not just the opening of a building but the opening of our hearts and our minds. Let it remind us that recovery is possible and that together we can create a community rooted in compassion and understanding.”
Garrett County Diplomats Connor Norman and Emily Tusing assisted in the official ribbon cutting.
Reflection House, is a new nonprofit organization and the first to establish recovery housing in Garrett County Maryland. As a 12-month, Level 2 residential recovery program, Reflection House provides addiction counseling services, and linkages to health and behavioral health services to women with substance use disorder in Western Maryland. Using a social enterprise model, residents receive training in life and relationship skills, job skills and real-world coping skills to support their sustained recovery.
September is National Recovery Month. National Recovery Month (Recovery Month), which started in 1989, is a national observance held every September to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery in all its forms possible.
Article courtesy of Garrett County Chamber of Commerce.
