HUNTINGTON — Lily’s Place in Huntington will receive $1,085,000 to open a community resource center thanks to a congressionally directed spending allocation.

The funding was secured by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., according to a news release.

The release states the center will complement the existing Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) Treatment Center, behavioral health center, children’s center and the residential treatment center by focusing on “prevention of long-term poor health outcomes including substance use by prioritizing the needs of the family unit rather than those of an individual.”

Jodi Maiolo, Lily’s Place director of program development, told The Herald-Dispatch the funding will be used exclusively for construction of the new building. Although she could not disclose the location until the plans are finalized, she said it will be close to the organization’s current locations in the 1300 block of 7th Avenue.

Maiolo said Lily’s Place is not attempting to duplicate its services, but instead is trying to pivot from delivering exclusively individualized services to ensuring families are involved.

“All of the issues Huntington is facing … everything from substance use to violent crime” could be addressed, not just through recovery, but also through preventative measures that start with building a strong, healthy family, Maiolo said. 

While the new center will not be a walk-in location, Maiolo said families will be able to sign-up for eight-week courses that will help them become “sustainable in the long term.”

The new location will provide life skills courses like cooking, computer skills, finances, physical wellness and nutrition, training and education. “As the needs of these infants, families and the community have evolved, so have our services. Senator Capito’s newest efforts to secure funding for Lily’s Place enables us to implement holistic programming that focuses on more than just short-term treatment,” Maiolo said in the release.

Maiolo told The Herald-Dispatch, “We’ve been trying to battle the opioid crisis everywhere but especially in Huntington for years. … We can’t afford it anymore — to keep throwing money at the problem.”

Instead, Maiolo said, Lily’s Place wants to prevent issues from occurring down the line by taking an evidence-based approach that provides support for families that will carry through to future generations. While she said this approach is something the organization has always wanted to take, it has never had the space for it before beyond having families assist in the physical needs of their clients.

Although the exact plans for the center have not been finalized, Maiolo said it will also prioritize the needs of Cabell County families. Eventually, Lily’s Place hopes to provide services for the needs of the families of first responders, dispatchers and EMTs, she said. 

“Lily’s Place, which I have long-supported, does incredible work and touches countless lives supporting children and families in West Virginia,” Capito said in the release. “I am proud to continue supporting their efforts by securing this CDS award for them that will ultimately help raise their standard of care and expand their services to effectively reach more people in need.”

For more information on current support programs provided through Lily’s Place, visit lilysplace.org or call 304-523-5459.