Love Drop-In Center

The Problem

In Columbus there is limited access for mothers with children struggling with substance abuse disorder to receive help. On Sullivant Ave there are womxn who have been brutally murdered by cops, men with and without uniforms. Some of the stories made national headlines. Trans-womxn are more prone to violence than women and there are no safe houses for those who are over 24 years of age. There are womxn who are deaf and who do they contact when they are violated? In 2020, the Hilltop’s Infant Mortality was 13.6% compared to 6.9 in Franklin County, 7% at the state level and 5.7% at the national average. The numbers are worse when you look at specific ethnic groups. Only in Ohio’s capital an extinct baby kangaroo born in the Columbus zoo has a better life expectancy than a baby born in the Hilltop.

Officials believe gentrification makes Columbus a smart city where economic development is foremost than human development. Retirees who own property in those areas with fixed incomes are displaced because of high taxes. The working poor are forced to choose between paying rent, utility bills, and purchasing food and health insurance for their family. The Hilltop has the highest crime rates and number of abandoned properties of all Columbus neighborhoods. Frequently our Street Sisters are raped and Trans Womxn are not immune to violence they are also prime targets. They come to our Drop-In Center as a haven and temporary band-aid to heal their emotional and physical wounds. They are grateful for our services as we often hear them say to us “THANK YOU FOR TREATING ME LIKE A HUMAN.” We see the migration of homeless people from Franklinton and other areas including street sisters struggling with addiction living in the abandominiums that serve as dope, trap and full houses. The migration is moving more west to Grove City and eventually to Hilliard. Leaders need to address the problems where they are at instead of hiding and pushing it to the west.

The Solution

The Love Drop-In Center has become a haven for womxn, their children and trans-womxn. We need 3 more Drop-In Centers one in each corner. The trained volunteers are trauma informed and responsive. The victims receive services where they live, and at the pace they choose. On January 2021, we opened the FIRST Full-time Drop-In Center in Franklin County. The womxn eat a meal, rest, have their MRSA+abscesses and others wounds cleaned by a nurse. They shower and put on clean clothes. They are given condoms, Narcan, Safe Needle Kits, and linked to health services. Womxn ready to go into recovery are escorted by a volunteer. We see an increase of children visiting the Drop-In Center who enjoy coming for a meal, playing in the kids’ room and connecting with people who care. Many of our street brothers report they are in need full-time Drop-In Centers operated by men.

Operating the Love Drop-In Center is a large undertaking, so collaboration with individuals, city and public health officials, grassroots movements and nonprofits is crucial in order to provide the resources womxn need. Human Trafficking is chronically under reported. In 2020 our Love Tribe served 1250 women, 50 children and 12 trans-gender folks on Columbus West Side. During the Love Bug Street Outreach, we served 3094 human trafficking victims covering the four corners which was more than twice the people served in 2019. In 2022 we served 1805 at the Love Drop-In Center and 3242 during the Love Bug Street Outreach. To support our efforts, please consider donating to us including purchasing items from our Amazon Smiles Account.

Research

Drop-In Centers are conduits to help remove womxn from their current situation and introduce them to treatment programs. The research on womxn Drop-In Centers that are child friendly and provide individualized care with peer support and focus groups had positive outcomes in the community. They were successful in meeting the needs of womxn with high-risk behaviors prostitution, addiction HIV, Hepatitis C and other type of infections dropped significantly. This type of harm reduction approach contributed to good parenting skills, sobriety, and empowerment and womxn retain their children. Womxn overcame the stigma obtained from hospital health care workers that made them reluctant, worthless, and develop a low self-esteem which diminished their interest to seek addiction treatment. Many of the Drop-In Centers in metropolitan cities that serve our West Side population who use IV, pill popping, and vaping methods to self-medicate had positive outcomes. The Human Trafficking Victims depended on the commitment and dedication of harm reduction service providers. The providers delivered outreach services, counseling, Sexually Transmitted Infection (STIs) services, syringe exchange program (SEP), as well as educational, training and skills programs that all contributed to holistic healing through nonjudgmental approach. Even though there are multiple studies that agrees with the above findings in both rural and urban areas in developing countries Franklin County HAD NOT ONE operating full-time even on the epicenter. Our goal was to be the FIRST ONE at the Epicenter and we did through God, Next Level 24 team, community contributions, and last-minute city and county funding. The remaining 3 corners are requesting our help to provide mxn and womxn.

We Need Your Help

Help us continue to spread love by helping those in need! The more we have the more generous we will be and the ripple effect of LOVE will be seen!

SPECIAL REQUEST

As of December of 2021, we outgrew our space. We finally broke ground on August 12, 2023, and the long needed 320 sqft multipurpose room is now complete as of February 2024. It hosts programs and services for all those impacted by human trafficking and special events with our partners. We thank the City of Columbus and amazing folks for funding this project. A special thanks to DesignGroup, Korda Engineering, Kolbe Construction, and the contractors in making the dream a reality. Our NEXT project is to build a duplex on our lot currently used as the Hilltop Butterfly Garden for pregnant women who are survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, and substance use disorder. We have the architect plans and looking for funding and folks who desire to elevate women and children out of poverty. Do you want to learn about our compassionate work? Please read the Spring 2022 edition of the OSU Alumni Magazine 1DivineLine2Health made it to the cover story here is the link Servant on the streets. You can donate via Zelle at 614-313-0544, $1dl2h, or PayPal or click the donate button on the top of this page.