The recently reopened Chrysalis House has several brand new commercial kitchen appliances, thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Rotary Club of Annapolis Foundation.
The shelter for women recovering from addiction and abuse and their children was severely damaged when a water pipe broke in January. The residents had to flee in the middle of the night, taking only a few things they could carry into the cold. Staff quickly found housing for them at a local facility and in Baltimore. The residents are scheduled to return to the facility in Crownsville in April, even while some repairs still need to be completed.
The Rotary Club of Annapolis, which established its own foundation in 1999, reacted to the disaster news immediately, says Marshall Larner, club president. “We met with Terry Berg, Chrysalis House board president, to view the damage and to see what we could do to help.”
“We had no idea of the generosity of the community,” says Ms. Berg. “We didn’t think we were well known (by the public). It was so important to our clients and for their self esteem to see that they were worthy of help and that the community cares. Out of chaos, they saw a shining light and that there is help and hope for them in their challenging recovery,” she says.
“And now we have a dishwasher! Can you imagine having 60 clients and no dishwasher?”
For information on the Rotary Club of Annapolis, visit www.annapolisrotary.org.
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