The House of Hope broke ground Sunday afternoon for a new campus meant to house recovering drug and alcohol addicts in Wildwood.
The mission for House of Hope is to provide a 12-month residential program for men struggling with substance and alcohol abuse. The Christian-based nonprofit has helped over 200 participants since 2014. The new 5.5-acre campus near U.S. 301 and County Road 126 will put 20 more men through the rehabilitation program when it opens.
About 100 people sat under a white canopy tent in 85-degree heat to celebrate the purchasing of the land with a groundbreaking ceremony. Several speakers involved with either the program or making the campus possible addressed the crowd, including the program’s Second Vice President Gene Barton and State Sen. Dennis Baxley.
“This truly is a house of hope,” said Baxley. “And there isn’t even a house here yet.”
Others who spoke include Sean Pollock, the music director for New Covenant United Methodist Church in The Villages, and his wife Ellen, a minister at the church. Sean told his story as a former meth user who has been sober for around 10 years, and Ellen prayed for the success of the program.
After hearing from site engineer David Springstead, the final speaker took to the podium. Pastor Malcolm Mosley, who himself is a former addict and works closely with the men that come through the program, thanked the audience, the board and the previous mentors for making the program possible. He also praised God for making the plot of land available to them.
“Sometimes you just need a place like this, a green pasture, to lay yourself in for God to speak to you,” said Mosley.
At the conclusion of the speeches, attendees were asked to cluster in small groups to officially “turn dirt” and break ground. The first group included Barton, Baxley, State Representative John Temple, Sumter County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Craig Estep and Mayor Ed Wolf. They were followed by the House of Hope board of directors, program mentors and then Mosley with a group of program graduates.
Wolf, who approved the land purchase, worked with Barton and Melanie Strickland, the developmental services director for Wildwood, for about five years to find an area suitable for the program. Several other properties fell through for various reasons, one of which being those in the neighboring area did not want the program so close to them.
“People heard the word ‘recovering’ and ran with it on social media,” said Wolf.
Despite this, Wolf and Barton believe they have found a place that will help those that want it. Pete Zito was once one of those men before graduating from the program. He remained involved with House of Hope and assists Mosley with anything he needs. He also believes the new campus will be worth it.
“I think it’ll do great,” said Zito. “It’s possible with God, but you’ve got to want it.”
If you are interested in volunteering or donating to the House of Hope, visit https://www.houseofhopefl.org/ to contact the program. You can also call (352) 272-7696.