Coshocton Community Housing Inc. donates land to First Step
Coshocton Community Housing Inc. recently donated property to First Step Family Violence Intervention Services, Inc. Board members from both organizations gathered together on July 27 to celebrate the occasion. Pictured from left in row one are – Laura Miller, vice president for community housing; Mary Mason, president for community housing; Vicki Laudick Casey, executive director of First Step; Jill Lahna, vice president of First Step’s board; Tomma Bordenkircher, First Step board member; Carey McMasters, First Step board member; and in back are – Carolyn Karr, secretary/treasurer for community housing; Steve Champagne, from community housing; Mary Tracy, First Step board treasurer; and Rob McMasters, First Step board member. Josie Sellers | Beacon
COSHOCTON – When Steve Champagne from Coshocton Community Housing Inc. found out First Step Family Violence Intervention Services, Inc. was in need of land to construct a new building on he was more than happy to help.
“First Step needed land and we had some so we donated it to them,” he said.
The community housing organization was given land from the Coshocton County Board of Developmental Disabilities that sits behind its office on Chestnut Street but was unable to make it work for them.
Jill Lahna works for the board of DD and serves on First Step’s board and brought up the idea to Champagne about donating the land.
“I hated to just see it sit there,” she said.
Champagne did too and that’s why board members from his organization and First Step’s met on July 27 to pass the land on for a new use.
“We had to leave our previous facility (on the corner of Walnut Street and South Sixth Street) after 22 years and building a new building was the most fiscally responsible thing for us to do after we checked all over town for another building,” said Vicki Laudick Casey, First Step’s executive director.
First Step is currently temporarily located in the Peoples Bank extension and its address is 200 Main St., Building B, PO Box 335, Coshocton, OH 43812 and the phone number is still 740-622-8504. According to its website, First Step’s mission statement is, “To promote safety to victims of violence through education, counseling, advocacy and shelter when needed to for any person suffering the effects of domestic violence and/or sexual assault. To promote non-violent behavior by educating the perpetrators of violence.”
“We have the floor plans and everything done for our new building, we just have to raise funds for the project now,” Casey said.
She added the cost for the building itself is $170,000 and that they are a quarter of the way to that goal. Anyone wishing to make donations for the building project can send them to First Step at the above address or to The Home Loan Savings Bank, marked care of First Step Building Project.
“We hope to have it (the building) completed and done by the end of the year,” Casey said.
She and her board members added that they are excited about the new building because it will be centrally located, only have one floor and be safe for their staff and clients.
Category: Clubs & Organizations
