Kendra's House a safe haven for at-risk girls

MARGARETTA TWP. — Kendra Didion can't wait to welcome her new teenage daughters into their new house.And, chances are, they're probably even more excited than her to move in and start a new, and better, life with their surrogate mother.Didion owns and recently opened Kendra's House, a Castalia-area safe haven for girls ages 13 to 17 where they — all either qualifying for, stuck in or bouncing around statewide foster care systems — can call "home." To protect the current and future residents, the address of Kendra's House has been omitted from this news article.Community members tour the inside of Kendra's House in Margaretta Township on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018. Kendra's House allows up to five at-risk girls, between the ages of 13 and 17, in the government's custody to live there.She obtained nonprofit status in summer 2017, and Erie County Job and Family Services recognize the residential facility as an accredited domicile allowed to oversee up to five children in government custody at one time. The local agency and others across Ohio will determine who can live at Kendra's House.All residents of Kendra's House, according to Didion, are victims of or likely targets for sex trafficking and drug abuse."These are the girls that are at-risk," Didion said at an open house Thursday night. "They have been through a lot of trauma. When they come here, they'll be in a welcoming environment surrounded by nature. It will be very healing and very family-based. They will be like sisters and have mothers so they can work through their trauma."Kendra Didion cuts the ribbon outside Kendra's House in Margaretta Township on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018. Kendra's House allows up to five at-risk girls, between the ages of 13 and 17, in the government's custody to live there.A victim herselfDidion has a wealth of experience in helping people overcome severe trauma.For starters, she's certified as a mental health and chemical dependency counselor, assisting those struggling with various addiction issues. Didion also operates Healing Trails, a Castalia-based nonprofit specializing in horse therapy treatments. She'll incorporate the equine-related programs for girls at Kendra's House.Upon living at Kendra's House, girls will learn a regiment — such as completing school work, taking up household chores, cooking their own meals and learning about nature through gardening — in hopes of gaining some stability and feeling more confident about themselves."This is going to be their house," Didion said. "But it's going to be a family setting and different than your stereotypical group home. They are going to bond as if they were a family. The five girls will be sisters."One of the bedrooms at Kendra's House in Margaretta Township.Didion developed a curriculum to ensure skills learned at Kendra's House are transferable to the real world so these girls can both triumph from their individual challenges and prosper as productive members of society."I want to empower them so they can rewrite their life story," said Didion, who, along with others, will oversee the entire operation and supervise each girl.Didion's passion for helping at-risk girls comes from personal experience."I grew up in an alcoholic home. My dad committed suicide when I was 15. I was an at-risk youth," Didion said. "But I went through those struggles and succeeded. I am a mother of two children. I earned my master's degree. I can relate to the stresses and worries these girls who will be coming here are facing."A relaxing space for the girls staying at Kendra's House in Margaretta Township.A community assetKendra's House relies upon donations to operate because of its nonprofit status. Didion enlisted four board members — Laura Foreman, Melissa Kuns, Kathy Noftz and Kim Krzemienieswki — who all, among other responsibilities, must fundraise to sustain its long-term viability."This is so important," Foreman said. "But it's only the beginning. We are looking to do even more in the community and, hopefully, this will grow, and we can do this for boys, too."Kendra's House, a nonprofit, is owned and operated by Kendra Didion, center. She works with a board, which consists of, from left, Laura Foreman, Melissa Kuns, Kathy Noftz and Kim Krzemienieswki. They all came together for an open house at Kendra's House in Margaretta Township on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018.For about five years now, at any given time, the number of children in Erie County's custody has hovered at 100. Now, more than ever, they're being sent to foster and/or group homes along with residential settings far away, often on the edges of Ohio, officials said.With Kendra's House coming online, and representing a viable solution where area girls in government custody can live, it's a welcomed addition to the community, according to one high-ranking official."Erie County Job and Family Services is hopeful that Kendra's House will represent a positive, healing setting for young women in their teenage years who have experienced neglect or abuse, frequently linked to opioid use by their parents or other caregivers," the agency's executive director Karen Balconi Ghezzi said.The dining and kitchen spaces at Kendra's House in Margaretta Township."As we as a society become more aware of the role trauma has played in the lives of these children, we recognize they need to be in an environment where the discussion centers not on 'What are you doing?' but rather on 'What has happened to you?' Balconi Ghezzi said. "It appears that this trauma-informed approach will be utilized at Kendra's House."And that's what Didion promises to accomplish."I know why God put me on this Earth," Didion said. "It's to do this. That is why I went through all the stuff in my life. It's to be where I'm at today and to give back. I want to help these girls so that once they leave, they feel strong, independent and can rewrite their own story. They didn't choose their parents. But they can choose how to live their lives in the future."Community members tour one of the living spaces at Kendra's House in Margaretta Township on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018. Kendra's House allows up to five at-risk girls, between the ages of 13 and 17, in the government's custody to live there.Want to help?Kendra's House is a nonprofit residential group home setting, providing a safe haven for teenage girls."Kendra's House provides an independent living environment for at-risk youth that is dedicated to empowering youths in the recognition of their inner strengths and abilities in order to transition them into confident, independent and productive adults," according to its mission statement.The founder, Kendra Didion, welcomes anyone to make a tax-deductible donation."When you give to Kendra's House, you are investing in a life — a life that has been filled with abuse, neglect trauma, hurt and disappointment," Didion said.To donate or get involved as a board member or volunteer:• Call 419-656-9074• Email kendrashouse5@gmail.com• Visit kendrashouse.orgReach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.