CLEVELAND — It’s been over a year since Cleveland City Council awarded $1 million to two area trauma treatment facilities.
Both the Brenda Glass Multi-Purpose Trauma Center and the May Dugan Center received $500,000 each to make needed repairs to their facilities.
RELATED: Cleveland City Council awards $1 million in funding to repair trauma-focused community centers
Both organizations have said the $500,000 awards last year were truly a gift from Cleveland City Council.
The organizations deal with people going through very traumatic times in their lives and the money has helped them make needed upgrades so those clients feel welcomed and comfortable.
Tasks like replacing carpets, painting the walls, and even adding new roofing may seem trivial in the grand scheme of trauma recovery and psychotherapy but Brenda Glass, the CEO of the Brenda Glass Multi-Purpose Center, said it’s quite meaningful.
“Most of the time we demean people by providing services in dilapidated buildings with services in buildings that are dark and dreary,” said Glass. “So, when people come into an environment that's beautified, they come into an environment they believe to be safe. They are coming into an environment that envisions something more positive and more prosperous. It kind of ignites something inside of them. It helps them to want more out of life.”
With the funds awarded from Cleveland City Council, one year later, Glass's space is brighter, there’s a new hot water tank, the ceiling is rehabbed, with new carpet and roofing installed. Glass also purchased five more safe houses to begin renovating totaling now to 13 houses for victims of violence.
“I think what we are seeing more now is there are less deaths and more injuries from gun violence, but we are seeing more women that are experiencing gun violence,” Glass said
The May Dugan Center used its $500,000 towards finishing its $8 million renovation, which is now complete.
“In this space, we are able to expand the physical footprint of the department which means we are able to serve more people in the space,” said Andy Traeas, Deputy Director of the May Dugan Center.
Traeas said the updated space allows the center to expand its behavioral health services in a new three-year plan.
"Prior to the renovation we couldn’t bring on more staff, we couldn't serve more people because we didn’t have any offices,” said Traeas. “So, this was a huge component of that.”
While May Dugan Center has used all its funds, Glass said she has half of the funds left and will use those dollars to continue renovating the insides of the new safe homes she's purchased.
