Center for Hope, a recovery center that treats over 1,000 people every month, moves to new location
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IDAHO FALLS – An addiction and recovery center in Idaho Falls has found a new home.
The Center for Hope, a peer recovery center offering free services for people struggling with mental health and substance abuse, now shares a building with the Behavioral Health Crisis Center at 530 E. Anderson.
Larry Manring, the center’s executive director, says this move gives them more space to accommodate their growing list of clients.
“This move allows us to expand our meeting schedule and add some more resources — educational and vocational opportunities for people in recovery here,” Manring tells EastIdahoNews.com.
Center for Hope’s list of new services includes Coffee with a Cop, where officers come in to visit with those in recovery. They will also be adding new resources for families of people in recovery, along with a Spanish support group and several new classes about general health and welfare and medication.
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The center first opened its doors in 2016 inside the shopping center by Fred Meyer. Manring says 1,000 to 1,200 patients were visiting their old location every month, but now those numbers are expected to increase.
“The opiate crisis continues to be a huge problem for communities nationwide, but we’ve also seen a significant increase (locally) in suicides, and law enforcement calls for suicidal individuals, in just the last couple of weeks,” Manring wrote in an email.
Idaho ranks third in the nation for suicide, Manring says, and suicides are occurring in a broader age range and among all socio-economic backgrounds.
The Center for Hope hosted an open house at their new location Monday. County and city leaders, along with local law enforcement, attended the event where Lisa Koller, a peer support and recovery coach at the center, was recognized.
Koller worked at the center for years until funding was cut just a few weeks ago and her paid position was eliminated. The Center for Hope presented her with a check that will allow her to complete her Recovery Coach Certification.
During the open house, they also unveiled their Brick by Brick fundraiser wall. Koller was presented with her own brick.
“The continued support has been amazing. People have been so optimistic since I took over April 1. We just started some fundraising efforts that have taken off quickly. I’m really impressed with the community support,” says Manring.
The Center is hosting a fundraiser this Sunday, September 2 called the Idaho Recovery Open Awareness Ride (IROAR). The fundraiser is a statewide motorcycle ride for recovery awareness. Activities also include a barbecue, music and a bike rodeo. Anyone is welcome to attend. It is happening from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Freeman Park.
The Center for Hope is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. To learn more, visit their Facebook page.