Place of Grace turns to municipalities for donations

HACKLEBURG - Hackleburg resident and Place of Grace board member Daniel Green visited the Hackleburg Town Council and Hamilton City Council members to attempt to raise funding for the building of a new women’s rehabilitation center being constructed in Hackleburg.
The Place of Grace plans to offer a 9-12 month live-in program where women will learn biblical principles and life skills necessary to recover from addiction. 
The program is directed by Jocelynn James Edmonds, who has been clean of opioids since Nov. 5, 2012. 
Since August 2013, she has helped  803 women and 146 men get into facilities in the state to seek help with their addiction. 
She also has an active jail ministry at the Franklin County Jail in Franklin County that she started five years ago.
Green stated that he plans to travel across the county in attempts to raise funds.
He stated that he is asking for $2,500 from smaller towns like Hackleburg, $5,000 from larger cities like Hamilton and $10,000 from the Marion County Commission.
“Probably everybody in this room and everybody in this town has been affected by drugs in some kind of way,” said Green during Hackleburg’s council meeting on Monday, Feb. 28.
“There’s a need for these types of places in this nation. The Place of Grace needs to have its own building and its own program.”
Last year, Community Church in Hackleburg donated the land that the facility is now being built on.
Green stated that the organization requires a total of $85,000 to complete the building of the facility
“The facility will primarily serve Marion, Franklin and Wintson counties. No woman that God places at our doors is going to be turned away, but the primary area that we’ll serve is those three counties,” said Green.
Green stated that he has gained the support of Marion County Sheriff  Kevin Williams.
Green stated that, currently, men and women who need these facilities are usually put on a waiting list to get into a Birmingham facility and don’t receive the help they need before waiting long periods of time.
Both Hackleburg and Hamilton stated that they would consider a one-time contribution on $2,500 dollars, but did not yet commit to the donation.
One Hackleburg resident in attendance during Monday’s meeting pledged $2,500, stating that the county was in need of a facility like The Place of Grace.
Colburn asked if there would be a possibility of a men’s facility and Green stated that it could be possible in the future.
Green stated that the facility would idealy be built by the end of this year if fundraising goes according to plan.
“We have a lot of donors who have committed to monthly funds to run the facility. Once we get the building structure up, we’ll be able to apply for some grants. Money is coming in, we’re just trying to get there faster,” said Green.