(Spirit Lake)– Representatives of the Discovery House board of directors were at Tuesday’s Dickinson county board of supervisors meeting requesting financial help from the county.
Board member Bob Shaw says the assistance is vital if the shelter for homeless people and recovering alcoholics and addicts is to remain in operation.
The board is requesting a thousand dollars a month for three years. Shaw says the county would see a return on its investment, saying the Spirit Lake facility “takes a load off society”.
Discovery House Director Julie Scheib says the facility is constantly about three-quarters full, and she doesn’t see that lessening anytime soon. If anything, Scheib says it’s likely to increase as the facility in Worthington, Minnesota is closing.
Earlier this summer the very future of Discovery House was in question when the facility was up for sale. Shaw reported Tuesday they were able to secure the necessary funds to secure ownership of the facility, but says they’re in desperate need of operating funds. He says December 1st has been set as a new “drop dead” date in the event they can’t raise the needed money.
The supervisors Tuesday voted five-to-nothing to grant the funding request effective this coming January and continuing for three years provided they can come up with the funding following a budget review.
