CUMMING, Ga. — No Longer Bound is finally opening its new dormitory. Earlier this year, the faith-based men’s addiction recovery center encountered some setbacks from COVID-19.
“There definitely was a delay in construction which was okay honestly, because sadly we had to stop admissions during that time as well,” Executive Director Edward Bailey said.
“We just really had to protect the men that were in our care.”
The campus, which is located in Cumming, has had 40 beds for many years. The new two-story dormitory adds 16 more beds to the campus.
“It's officially ready to open,” Bailey said. “We're ironing out the last couple things, a couple little cosmetic fixes and then finishing up with the county in getting a certificate of occupancy. But the building is done, and we hope to be moving men in, in the next 7 days.”
It’s important that the bedrooms and connecting common areas be properly laid out and comfortable, he said.
“For us, it's really important to create something for them that feels like home, that does not look like an institutional building, that does not look uninspiring and static,” Bailey said.
“We want it to feel like home because this is the place where they are going to be really reborn in a lot of ways. They're going to meet themselves for the first time. By the time they show up at No Longer Bound, they feel unlovable, unworthy," he said.
He said he wants the new building and all the buildings on campus to send a message.
"‘You are worth it, you are valuable, we love you, and you deserve this.’ When they walk in that building, we want them to go ‘why is this so nice?’ And, for us, that's a conversation starter to begin to speak into that doubt, that unbelief, that pain, and that trauma in their life and say ‘you are lovable, you are worthy, and you are worth it.’”
He said the organization has been meeting the needs of the community since it was incorporated as a 501 (c)(3) in 1991. Now, Bailey said, they’re in an even better position to lend a helping hand.
“Because of COVID-19, an increase in anxiety and isolation and unemployment has really caused a massive spike in addiction and mental health-related issues,” he said. “So we're just really fortunate to be opening up 16 new beds at No Longer Bound that we've never had.”
$1.5 million was raised for the new dormitory which is only part of the overall campus expansion, Bailey said.
“Right across from the dorms is a recreation area where the men will be able to play basketball and focus on their physical health, and also a facility where the families can come and visit every weekend, and the men can be with their kids,” he said. “Then, right beside the dorm, next month, we will actually start a brand-new cafeteria. So we're just getting started at No Longer Bound.”
To learn more about No Longer Bound, you can visit the organization’s Facebook, Instagram, or website.
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