Tag: Ashtabula

ASHTABULA – After 14 years of providing housing, support and hope to individuals and families experiencing homelessness, Beatitude House’s A House of Blessing, Ashtabula recently welcomed donors, community partners, staff and supporters to its Lake Avenue location for a Farewell and Celebration event. Guests gathered on Sept. 10 to share memories, express gratitude and celebrate the impact of the ministry on the Ashtabula community. The afternoon included refreshments and an archives display highlighting the history of A House of Blessing and the many people who have been part of its story.

Beatitude House opened A House of Blessing, Ashtabula in 2012 as an expansion of its mission to provide supportive housing to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Located in the former St. Joseph School on Lake Avenue, the program provided 10 fully furnished transitional housing units along with supportive services. Over 14 years, A House of Blessing served 181 families, including 186 adults and 253 children, for a total of 439 individuals.

Residents typically stayed for six months to a year and were referred through Ashtabula County’s Coordinated Entry System. In addition to safe and stable housing, residents worked with a trauma-informed Housing Team to overcome barriers and work toward permanent housing, connect with community resources and support services, access educational opportunities, increase household income and build skills for greater independence.

For Support Specialist Tammy Wetherbee, A House of Blessing, Ashtabula has been a 14-year journey alongside the individuals and families who called the program home. Wetherbee was there when the program welcomed its first tenant in 2012, and she worked with its final tenant more than a decade later. Throughout the years, she helped residents navigate the challenges of homelessness while connecting them with permanent housing, community resources and support services. She also helped children access needed services and supported residents as they pursued education, employment and increased income. She reflects:

“Watching parents and children grow, find stability and thrive has been the greatest blessing of my career. Beatitude House gave me the opportunity to help others, but in so many ways, this ministry has also been a blessing and healing gift in my own life. I am so grateful for every family, staff member, community partner and donor who has been part of this journey.”

A House of Blessing, Ashtabula’s impact would not have been possible without the many community partners who supported the program and the individuals and families it served. Beatitude House is deeply grateful to the organizations, agencies, foundations, donors, volunteers and community members who helped residents access the resources and opportunities they needed to move forward. Their partnership helped create a community of support around each household and made it possible for A House of Blessing to be a place where hope could grow.
A House of Blessing, Ashtabula has operated at the former St. Joseph School, located on the site of Our Lady of Peace at St. Joseph Church, since opening in 2012. Following the recent closure of Our Lady of Peace at St. Joseph Church, the facility will no longer be available to house the A House of Blessing program. As a result, Beatitude House will close the Ashtabula location by the end of 2026. While this chapter of the ministry is coming to an end, Beatitude House remains committed to its mission of providing supportive housing and services to individuals and families in need through its other programs.