Come celebrate Kinship

Editor's note: The Kinship House, located in Osborn MetroPark's complex off East Perkins Avenue, serves as Erie County's only regulated safe haven for children's supervised visitations and exchanges. An upcoming event aims to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The community celebration takes place from 5-7 p.m. Monday at its facility, 3920 Perkins Ave., Huron. Here is some background. HURON TWP. — For 25 years, the Kinship House has offered a warm, home-like environment where children and their families can participate in supervised visitations and exchanges. Most visits are either directly monitored by trained staff or intermittently observed from outside the room. In some cases, visitations may proceed without active monitoring, depending on the level of supervision deemed appropriate by the referring authority. As it celebrates its 25th anniversary, let's take a look back to understand its important legacy in Erie County. Understanding the need In 2000, 25 years ago, the Rev. Ernest Matijasic, rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Sandusky, set out to establish a community-based outreach initiative, inspired by the church's mission to serve those most in need. With the full support of Grace and its parishioners, Matijasic began assessing urgent needs in the community, ranging from hunger and elder care to racial reconciliation and support for children. A pivotal moment came during a conversation with Jenny Wilkens, a fourth-grade teacher at Hancock Elementary School and a member of Grace. When asked what concerned her most about her students, she replied immediately, "child neglect." That moment sparked the vision that would become The Kinship House. Matijasic formed a project committee within Grace to study the issue. They consulted with key community leaders, including: • Jack Haplea, United Way of Erie County's executive director • Terry Troutman, Hancock's principal • Susan Ruffing of the Cleveland Episcopal Diocese representative • Judy Englehart, Erie County human services director Erie County Director of Human Services Englehart shared sobering statistics. In 1999, Erie County documented 730 child abuse cases, including 207 physical abuse cases, 299 neglect cases, 118 sexual abuse cases, 74 dependency cases and 32 emotional abuse cases. With this data and overwhelming support from local stakeholders, the committee committed to developing a child abuse prevention program. Research and community engagement A subcommittee was formed to research child abuse prevention models across Ohio. The committee's most influential visit was to Village House in Fremont, an innovative center located in a former nunnery next to St. Ann's Catholic Church. Village House provided a safe space for supervised visitations and parent-child exchanges and paid only $1 per year in rent to the Catholic Diocese. The success of Village House became the blueprint for Sandusky's emerging program. Members of the committee also consulted with 10 Ohio cities that had similar child abuse initiatives. Regular meetings with Judge Don Ramsey, of Erie County Family Court, helped them navigate the legal framework for supervised visitations and court referrals. As plans developed, the committee recognized that the need for resources and volunteers was far beyond what Grace alone could supply. An appeal went out to churches across the region—and the response was overwhelming. Ecumenical support poured in, marking the beginning of a multi-faith, community-driven movement. The birth of Kinship House With a strong foundation of research and support, the committee drafted a comprehensive child abuse prevention proposal, which was formally approved by the Grace's vestry. The name Kinship House was chosen by Matijasic, reflecting the belief that, "We are all related and need each other's help and care." A board of directors was formed, representing a broad cross-section of the Sandusky community: The initial Kinship House board of directors included the following: • Larry Wisman, representing Grace Episcopal Church, who served as president • Eleanor Rowley, representing Grace, who served as vice president • Troutman, representing Hancock, who served as secretary • Sharon Felter, representing Grace, who served as treasurer • Cynthia Franketti, who served as executive director • Thorvald Brink, representing St. Stephen United Church of Christ • Fran Bergmoser, representing Family and Children First • Mary Ann Chimera, representing St. Mary's Parish • Deborah Coffey, representing Grace • Kay Dunbar, representing Grace • Phil Frost, representing Fraternal Order of Police • Mary Ellen Hart, representing Erie County Detention Facility • Donna Kelley, representing Sts. Peter and Paul Parish • Madeline Lichtesien, representing Congregation Oheb Shalom • Anne Maschari, representing Firelands Community Hospital • Matijasic, representing Grace • Rev. Robert Patton, representing St. Stephen • Joyce Pohl, representing Oheb • Rev. Doris Troup, representing St. Stephen AME Church The organization's mission was clear: "To build a church-based volunteer program designed to prevent child abuse using a variety of interventions with parents, grandparents or guardians. A full-time director would coordinate the efforts of the volunteer corps." After an extensive search process, Franketti, formerly of Care-a-Van, was hired as the first executive director. Volunteers were recruited and trained by Barbara Flood, director of Patchwork House in Tiffin, providing them with the skills needed to work compassionately and effectively with vulnerable families. Firelands Regional Medical Center generously loaned a home at 1211 Prospect St. to serve as Kinship's physical space. Volunteers from many churches came together to paint, furnish and prepare the house. The warm, home-like setting was designed to put children and families at ease. With legal assistance from Mel Stauffer, a parishioner and attorney at Flynn, Py & Kruse, Kinship secured initial funding from the Stein Foundation, Grace Episcopal Church and St. Stephen United Church of Christ. Many more churches and local foundations would follow. After nearly a year of intense planning and collaboration, The Kinship House officially opened on Feb. 3, 2001. Its initial programs included: • Supervised visitations • Drop-off/pick-up child exchanges • Parenting support and education programs • Abuse prevention workshops for children and families A new home, a growing mission Although The Kinship House opened in 2001 with a great sense of hope and community momentum, its journey was not without challenges. After three years of operating out of the donated home, at 1211 Prospect St., the organization faced an unexpected setback: Firelands Regional Medical Center needed to expand its parking facilities, and the house was slated for demolition. The news could have been devastating. But the board of directors responded with resilience and determination. Members found a new location within Osborn MetroPark, part of the Erie MetroParks system, and arranged to lease a small building, fondly referred to as "the cabin," for a nominal fee. While the cabin provided a much-needed solution, it quickly became clear that the growing number of families being served exceeded the building's modest size. The need for more space was undeniable, especially as programs expanded and court referrals continued to increase. To meet this need, The Kinship House partnered with EHOVE Career Center's construction technician classes. Students took on the project of designing and building a 1,100-square-foot addition. This hands-on educational collaboration not only provided students with valuable experience but also gave Kinship House the physical space it needed to thrive. The expanded facility allowed the organization to: • Serve more families at once in a private, child-friendly environment • Create separate rooms for supervised visitations and parenting sessions • Improve scheduling flexibility and program delivery With this expansion, The Kinship House entered a new chapter rooted in the same mission but with stronger infrastructure to support its growing impact. A renovated house, a generous community The years that followed marked a time of professional growth and deeper collaboration. New trauma-informed training protocols were introduced for volunteer facilitators. Beginning in 2011 and under the leadership of the current executive director, Tara Ohlemacher, Kinship House launched new partnerships with local schools to identify at-risk families and offer wraparound services. Recognition from Erie County commissioners and investment in a digital intake system demonstrated the Kinship House's growing role as a leader in family services. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kinship House quickly adapted by launching virtual supervised visitation and creating an emergency family support fund to help with essentials, like food, transportation and child care. The organization's 20th anniversary was marked by an open house, a commemorative publication and a series of oral history interviews capturing the stories of founders, early volunteers and families served. By 2023, the Kinship House had supported more than 1,000 families and reaffirmed its mission to prevent child abuse, heal intergenerational trauma and strengthen safe parenting through compassionate, community-driven care. Today, Kinship House continues to serve families at its newly renovated location at the entrance to Osborn MetroPark. As an active member of the Supervised Visitation Network, Kinship House is dedicated to fostering safe, structured connections between parents and children during times of family conflict—particularly when supervised contact has been deemed necessary by the courts or referring agencies. The organization employs 10 trained monitors, led by: • A board of dedicated individuals • Simon Mercurio, its assistant director, who has served in the role for two years • Ohlemacher, the executive director, who has led Kinship House for the past 14 years Currently, Kinship House serves more than 100 families each month and continues to rely on the generosity of donors for nearly 95% of its operating costs. People can donate and learn more by visiting kinshiphouse.com and/or calling 419-625-2672.