First we teach our residents personal skills: how to break old habits, how to get along with other people, particularly those different from us. Many have been homeless, so we teach basic hygiene. Most have never had jobs, so we teach basic work habits – showing up on time, listening to a boss, and getting along with coworkers.
We function as an extended family, rather than a more typical program. Our daily operations are run by the residents of the program and when ready, residents enter one of our vocational training areas where with training from more experienced residents and staff, they start at the bottom and work their way up. The goal is to learn to lead a productive crime-free, drug-free life of purpose and integrity. Everyone learns a marketable skill, and earns at least a high school equivalency degree.
As part of their therapeutic program and job skills training, HTH residents will have the opportunity to renovate properties acquired by Hope Thru Housing in residential neighborhoods around the Columbus area. These properties will then be used in one of two ways:
(1) offered for sale through established community programs to help meet the housing needs of low to middle income families or
(2) as part of the HTH aftercare housing program that is offered to graduates in good standing at reduced rental rates.
We have 3 main rules: no drugs or alcohol, no physical violence, and no threats of violence. Each resident at our treatment center receives food, housing, clothing and vocational training at no cost.