Halfway house in Peru expects to be open this summer

Maitri Path to Wellness received the go-ahead from the Peru City Council to build an addition on its halfway house property, allowing the project to take its next step toward completion.

Maitri Path to Wellness in La Salle is in the process of creating a residential substance abuse and recovery facility (halfway house) at 710 Peoria St., Peru. In order for the project to continue, the addition needed approval from the City Council, which it received Monday.

Kelly Jones, founder of Maitri, said the plans for the addition make the project fully functional. There will be 24 beds available, 12 for men and 12 for women in separated sections of the house. The residents will have a large, shared kitchen, an outdoor space fenced in for privacy and a large living room area.

“It flows better, it works better overall,” Jones said.

The project received two grants to get it started, one supplying funding for women’s beds and the other for men. Construction is expected to break ground in April and be finished and open this summer, Jones said.

Mayor Ken Kolowski said he’s excited about the project and the addition, saying the project is performing a public service for mental health in the area.

“It’s a great addition,” Kolowski said. “Mental health is so important, and cosmetically it’s going to look fantastic. It’s going to be wonderful.”

The halfway house will be the first in the area to provide housing for people recovering from substance abuse within La Salle County and bordering counties.

La Salle County is in the top 7% of all Illinois counties with the highest overdose death rate, or No. 8 out of 102 counties, according to 2021 IDPH data. La Salle County has an overdose death rate of 3.62 per 10,000 residents.

Because of the high overdose death rates, Jones said the halfway house is a highly needed resource in the community. When someone in the area has an addiction, Jones said they’re sent away for about 28 days, return to the community and are expected to have their life together.

“Because addiction doesn’t happen overnight, recovery doesn’t either,” Jones said. “So, 28 days for a lifelong addiction isn’t enough time to confidently master the skills of staying clean and sober. What we will provide is that transitional piece. They will live there, they will work in the community, they will have that positive support system in place to maintain their recovery while engaging in the community where they have lived prior to going to treatment.”

Individuals recovering from substance abuse will live at the residential house for three to six months. Residents will work in the community, receive clinical services like counseling and recovery coaching, have meals together and be supported by a 24/7 staff team on-site.

Maitri will be holding upcoming fundraisers to raise money to fund construction costs of the halfway house. It will hold a dueling pianos event called Shamrocks and Shenanigans from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, March 17, at 109 Wright Street in La Salle. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/646ad45e-ce27-46a2-bd9c-2861f809df7b.

Future fundraisers include a murder mystery dinner in Utica on April 15, and tickets soon will be available on the Maitri website. Jones also plans to raffle off handmade quilts with local high school logos through Facebook, and she is planning a take n’ bake pizza from Alfano’s fundraiser. Information on future fundraisers will be available on the website at https://www.maitripathtowellness.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MaitriPath.

Call the Starved Rock Country Community Foundation, the halfway house’s fiscal sponsor, at 815-252-2906 to make a donation. Maitri is also seeking to connect with potential volunteers and local businesses open to giving jobs to residents at the halfway house. For this and more information about the project, call the Maitri office at 815-780-0690.