Wondering how you can help sponsor a woman at Lydia's Home?

Lydia's Home is a Certified Level II Recovery Residence for women located in the City of Green that meets the standards of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR).

This year, your gift of any amount will be matched and will provide vital funding for women in recovery right here in Summit County.

This program is unique. In addition to providing a real, loving home, our staff provides a comprehensive program that includes treatment, relapse-prevention, accountability, transportation, family support, and much more.

Learn how your gift makes a difference, and how your gift will be MATCHED up to $75,000.

Have you heard our story? Listen to Dennis, Tamela, Kurt & Renee share the human stories behind our ministry.

Dennis shares the incredible success of the Urbean Cafe workforce development program in equipping former felons for success in work and life, and the ways the program has contributed millions in economic impact and saved taxpayers millions more.

Tamela talks about the love, support, and guidance behind the successful women at Lydia’s Home, and the reasons this faith-centered recovery home in the City of Green is special.

Kurt and Renee share their experiences as Men’s Outreach and Women’s Outreach Coordinators, and the stories of the men and women they meet on the path to recovery.

At the heart of it all is faith. "A faith relationship with Jesus Christ is vital to recovery." ~ Dennis

This year, we are thrilled to announce our first $75,000 matching gift program. Thanks to a generous donor, all donations, including online gifts and corporate sponsorships, will be matched up to $75,000.

This program gives us the opportunity to raise up to $150,000 to benefit Lydia’s Home.

Bridging the Gap

As many of you may know, nonprofit grant programs continue to change. Some of the programs that our ministry has relied upon are no longer available.

This effectively resulted in the loss of $150,000 in grants for the ministry this year.

But, thanks to a generous donor, we have the opportunity to bridge that gap.

With your help, we can do it. Here are 3 ways you can help us reach our goal.

1. Donations - Whether you give online or by mail, your gift will be matched.

2. Recurring Gifts - Our new donation platform makes it possible. Simply select the Monthly Gift option on our Donate page.

3. Corporate Gifts & Sponsorships - Our new Sponsors page and Donation platform make it easy and fast, and provide you with the essential forms you need for your accounting records.

Learn how to get started in this month’s blog article. Thank you for your support!

We continue to overcome barriers to recovery and are proud to announce that women can now apply for residency at Lydia's Home via our website via an easy, 3-part process.

Opened in 2017, Lydia's Home is a Certified Level II Recovery Residence for women located in the City of Green that meets the standards of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR).

Lydia’s Home provides a curriculum-based, faith-centered recovery program in a safe home environment that helps women successfully overcome barriers to recovery and independence.

Read this month’s blog to learn more and submit your application today.

You can do this. We can help.

Akron’s Urbean Café has contributed more than $10 million in economic impact to Summit County, provided workforce development for nearly 170 people, and saved Ohio taxpayers more than $5 million in direct costs since 2011.

Launched as a Restorative Justice program, the Urbean Café has been a successful example of real-world workforce development and faith-centered mentoring since its inception.

“The Urbean Café program was designed to help overcome the employment barriers faced by returning citizens,” said Dennis Shawhan, executive director of Broken Chains Ministry.

Located in Akron’s Robert K. Pfaff Metro Transit Center, café employees have a 2% or lower recidivism rate compared to the national average of 43% within one year.

Meet Chuck Baldwin, Urbean Cafe’s General Manager, read his story, and learn more about this unique program in downtown Akron, Ohio.

Thanks to Wayside Furniture in Akron, your donation of up to $100* will be DOUBLED when you drop off your donation in person on Thanksgiving weekend, November 29 through December 2.

Where: Wayside Café, 1367 Canton Rd., Akron, Ohio 44312

When: Saturday, November 29 through Monday, December 2.

Details: All gifts by check or cash up to $100 will be MATCHED.
92% of all the funds support Restorative Justice programs.

On Saturday, October 5, 16 University of Akron School of Law students visited Lydia’s Home for a day of service as part of Akron Law Cares Day.

The program served 16 nonprofits across Summit County that day. This is the 14th year for Akron Law Cares Day and the sixth year that Lydia’s Home has benefited from this unique program.

We are grateful to Professor Joanne Sahl Esq. J.D. and the students of the University of Akron School of Law for their continued commitment to community service.

Join us on August 31 to honor International Overdose Awareness Day.

This is a day of remembrance, tribute, reflection, and commitment to help end overdose deaths and injury. It is a day to remember, without stigma, those who have died while honoring those who still grieve.  

Overdose is one of the world’s worst public health crises.

The international awareness campaign acknowledges the profound grief resulting from death or permanent injury caused by drug overdose, including that of friends, family, and community members.

• At least 5,215 Ohioans fatally overdosed on drugs in 2020 according to new government data, a nearly 22% increase over 2019 numbers.

• Fentanyl was involved in 81% of overdose deaths in Ohio in 2020, often in drug combinations. That same year, fentanyl-related deaths increased by 32%.

• More than 93,000 people died of a drug overdose in the U.S. in 2020 — a record number that reflects a rise of nearly 30% from 2019. 110,000 people died of overdose in the U.S. in 2022.

• Between May and September 2022, the DEA and its law enforcement partners seized 4.7 million deadly doses (Justice.gov, 2022).

Help us spread the message that overdose is a preventable tragedy.