Greg Dohler/The Gazette Sheri Bell, family counselor for Reality Inc., stands in front of the company's in-patient center on Main Street in Laurel. The historic 19th century building is one of three in the area scheduled to be renovated as part of the Thanksgiving in July program sponsored by First United Methodist Church of Laurel.

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Greg Dohler/The Gazette The halfway house at Reality Inc. on Main Street in Laurel is scheduled to be renovated as part of the Thanksgiving in July program sponsored by First United Methodist Church of Laurel.
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Greg Dohler/The Gazette Sheri Bell, family counselor for Reality Inc., stands in front of the company's in-patient center on Main Street in Laurel. The historic 19th century building is one of three in the area scheduled to be renovated as part of the Thanksgiving in July program sponsored by First United Methodist Church of Laurel.
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Greg Dohler/The Gazette The in-patient center at Reality Inc. on Main Street in Laurel is one of three historic buildings in the area scheduled to be renovated as part of the Thanksgiving in July program sponsored by First United Methodist Church of Laurel.

Greg Dohler/The Gazette Sheri Bell, family counselor for Reality Inc., stands in front of the company's in-patient center on Main Street in Laurel. The historic 19th century building is one of three in the area scheduled to be renovated as part of the Thanksgiving in July program sponsored by First United Methodist Church of Laurel.

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A weak economy prevented members of Laurel’s First United Methodist Church from traveling out of state to do outreach work this year, but it didn’t prevent them from reaching out to their neighbors across Main Street.

The church selected Laurel’s Reality Inc. drug and alcohol rehabilitation center as the beneficiary of its annual Thanksgiving in July event. The event, which started in 2003, has included trips to rebuild houses in Kentucky and volunteer with children in Mississippi. This year church members will help renovate three historic houses in Laurel, two of which belong to Reality Inc.

“Part of the reason we chose this was because the funds aren’t as readily available to travel far as they were before because of the recession,” said Linda Webster, who is leading this year’s church effort.

Work on the houses will include internal and external paint jobs, porch repairs, fire alarm upgrades, basic plumbing and electrical repairs, storage space additions and new kitchen fixtures.

“As a nonprofit we don’t have a lot of money to make these changes,” said Sheri Bell, Reality’s family counselor. “We’ve done individual repairs here and there over the years but to have this all done at once is wonderful.”

Bell said the changes are much needed in Reality’s in-patient center and halfway house on Main Street, as well as the Price House sober living facility on Laurel Avenue, where Reality refers many of its patients.

Both Main Street houses are about 150 years old, and Price House is 99 years old, Bell said.

During the winter, Webster and fellow church members visited the houses and decided they would be ideal candidates for a makeover.

On June 10, the church held a concert fundraiser that brought in $1,600 for the renovations. Webster said they have so far raised between $2,000 and $3,000 total.

The amount of renovations completed will depend on how much money and supplies are raised, Webster said.

“We’re taking donations through [Saturday],” she said. “We’re going to work on it, and the Lord provides, so I have no qualms that we will succeed.”

Webster said in addition to getting gift certificates from Lowe’s and Home Depot, the church has received numerous donations of supplies from residents.

“I’m hoping we get somewhere around 30 people [to help renovate]. It could be more,” Webster said. “And Sheri keeps adding people to her list.”

The renovations will be done by volunteers from the church, local community and businesses. Laurel city staff is working with the church to process all the necessary permits, such as those for electrical upgrades.

“We just want to assist them. For me, I just don’t want to see any vacant lots,” Mayor Craig A. Moe said. “I know people who have gone to that facility and they speak highly of it.”

Reality is in the midst of a staff reorganization, and plans to merge with Crownsville-based Hope House rehabilitation center in the following weeks and reopen soon after, said acting director John Irvine.

The renovations will take place Monday through July 2.

cokparanta@gazette.net