Media Center
> August 29, 2005
Transforming Pressley Ridge Odyssey From a House to a Home
MORGANTOWN, WV— A $5,000 grant from Ronald McDonald House Charities Morgantown will help provide decorative, long-lasting touches that will transform the Pressley Ridge Odyssey into a warm and inviting home.
Pressley Ridge Odyssey program, a residential treatment facility, has been designed to provide a home-like setting where girls can address their behavior problems with the help of therapeutic teacher/counselors and plan for a bright future where they can fulfill their maximum potential. The girls at Odyssey house are between the ages of 13 and 17 and normally stay up to a year.
“This grant will help create a warm and welcoming environment that can have a positive impact on the girls, many of whom have never known a traditional home-like setting or a space to personalize and call their own”, stated program director, Constance Grant.
Pressley Ridge received the maximum amount funded by the Ronald McDonald House of Morgantown. Started in 1996, RMHC provides grants to non-profit organizations whose programs improve the quality of life of all children.
“It was a natural fit with our mission to fund this worthwhile project”, said Jeannie Kuhn, special events coordinator and grants manager of RMHC of Morgantown. “When you think about home, whether it’s short term while you’re waiting for a child to be released from a hospital or you cannot access your home for a year, it’s important that the environment you call ‘home’ feels comfortable.”
The current residents are responsible for the planning, implementation and installation of the newly purchased items for the “make-over”. The project will provide an important group exercise for the girls, involving: research, discussion and compromise, budgeting, planning, execution, photography and report writing.
At the conclusion of the project, the girls will celebrate with an Open House. They will plan the event, prepare the house and welcome their guests.
For more information, please contact Constance Grant at 304.296.0944.