Rhonda's House searching for new location - KWQC-TV6

DEWITT, Iowa (KWQC) - Nestled in a neighborhood in DeWitt is a house where those struggling can find some peace.

Rhonda’s House is a peer-run respite center, where people can spend up to a week in what the founder describes as a “bed and breakfast for your mental health”.

“When you go into the house, it doesn’t look like a clinical setting or a medical setting,” said Todd Noack, the executive director of Life Connections Peer Recovery Services. “Because it’s not. It’s a house. It’s their house, and for seven days it’s their house. They’re coming here and we’re supporting them, whatever it is they need. We won’t do it for them, but we’ll give them the tools they need to get through it.”

Life Connections started the house three years ago, through an agreement with Genesis Health Systems. Since then, more than 250 people have stayed there. Noack says the house usually doesn’t stay empty for more than three or four days.

The “peer-run” part of the center’s name means the employees have personal experiences with residents’ issues. A former worker at the house, who now works at Life Connection’s downtown Dewitt recovery center, says that’s a huge advantage for care.

“A lot of conversations that you may or may not have thought would happen do happen,” said Cynthia Henningsen, a peer support specialist. “You find out a lot about them and their experiences and struggles, so I feel like you really connect with them.”

But now, Rhonda’s House needs to move. The organization’s arrangement with Genesis ends next June. Before then, they will need to raise as much as $500,000. The goal is a permanent home, where they can have more residents at one time, and become a fixture of the community.

“I mean, who knows, maybe...somebody says ‘hey, my brother, my mother, my father, my sister took their life and I’m sitting comfortably. I’d like to give them $50,000′,” said Noack. “That’s what we’re looking for.”

A spokesperson for Genesis Health Systems says there are no formal plans for the property at this time. And though it’s uncertain where Rhonda’s House will be in a year, there’s nothing uncertain about how it helps the people who stay there.

“They really appreciate that they’re really treated like an actual human being, not just like a patient, or like a number,” said Henningsen.

If you think you or someone you know could benefit from the services offered by Rhonda’s House or Life Connections, you can find more information at https://www.lifeconnectionsrecovery.org/ or call 563-659-1171.

Copyright 2021 KWQC. All rights reserved.

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