Several Baptist churches and members have been working alongside Foundation 61 to build and prepare the organisation’s latest addiction-treatment facility, House of Hope for women, which has recently opened in the Geelong region.

The 8-bed facility aims to treat the underlying issues faced by women who struggle with alcohol and other drug addictions. A wide variety of professionals and volunteers will support the residents over their 6-month stay, including volunteers from several Baptist churches: The Wave Ocean Grove, Torquay Christian Fellowship and One Hope Geelong.

Foundation 61 is a non-denominational and not-for-profit charity that aims to empower people who are confronting life-controlling issues so they can restore control in their lives and contribute positively to mainstream society. Its name is based on Isaiah 61 which reminds us to “proclaim good news to the poor… bind up the brokenhearted… proclaim freedom for the captives… release from darkness for the prisoners”. The organisation has run a 15-bed men’s facility for the past 19 years, called Restoration House. The new women’s facility was part of the plan since the organisation blossomed from a bible study which sought to support some of its members who were battling addictions.

Co-founder Caroline Lytzki said it was exciting to see this portion of the vision come to reality. “There is a real need for this type of facility – we’ve had over 100 applications for House of Hope this year, before even opening our doors! It’s not the only facility of its kind in Victoria but we’re unique because while we’re very therapeutic based, we run more like a family home, teaching many skills that our residents may not have learned due to addiction and life circumstances.” She said treatment would be foundational as it addresses underlying traumas and encourages women to discover their talents and personalities, focusing on the Isaiah message and the organisation name Foundation 61.  “The ladies will participate in lots of life-skills groups and will be responsible for the daily running of the House with things like cooking, tending the gardens to grow food to eat, cleaning and maintaining the property.”

Foundation 61 residents are asked to attend church on Sundays, but are not pushed to discuss faith. They also have the option to attend a weekly bible study. These things have helped many Restoration House residents to grow in their faith since it started – “We find quite a lot of the guys have gone to an Alpha course, and a number of them now regularly go to church after finishing with the program. One man recently got baptised.”

Several former Restoration House residents have helped to build House of Hope with the aim of giving back to the community that supported them through the toughest of times.

Foundation 61 staff members have a strong passion for people on the recovery journey and often volunteer many hours over and above the norm as they seek to encourage the residents in their quest for freedom from addiction and rebuilding their lives. Many staff members are Christians who also provide a wonderful model not only for the residents but also for the staff who are not.

The organisation relies heavily on the generosity of individuals, churches, businesses and organisations to contribute financial, labour and prayer support to set up House of Hope and to subsidise each resident’s stay. Volunteers have included a chaplain, painters, plumbers, gardeners and horticulturists.

“If you’re local to Geelong and you have a heart for serving and getting alongside people, you’re welcome to come meet the residents and find a volunteer role that fits your passion and gifting. Currently, we are looking for people to be on our committee of management and volunteers to stay overnight in mentoring roles.”

Caroline is looking forward to the first year of operation for House of Hope. “I look at how God has carried us through this journey. My husband [CEO and co-founder Rob Lytzki], prayer-walked this block of land for years before we built anything. We have seen lots of little ‘God-incidences’ that have happened along the way. My biggest hope would be to see women set free from their addiction and be able to live healthy fulfilled lives; to walk in that freedom and to build the connections they need in order to live with their families and children, and to live the best life possible.”

For more details on Foundation 61’s work, see foundation61.org.au