Northeastern Center breaks ground on new Stepping Stone location, creating path to independence in brand-new home

KENDALLVILLE, Ind. – Later this year, residents of Northeastern Center’s Stepping Stone program will get a fresh start at life in a brand-new home.

In a groundbreaking ceremony today, area leaders celebrated the start of construction on a new location for Stepping Stone, a transitional home for residents on the path toward independent living.

Northeastern Center has four residential homes that are designed to support adults with mental health conditions and substance use disorders that significantly impact their daily lives. Stepping Stone is a transitional home that supports independent living, meaning residents have typically “graduated” from another home and need minimal support as they prepare to live on their own.

Located on Dagny Drive in Kendallville, the new one-story, 2,800-square-foot building is expected to be completed in November. It will include eight bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a kitchen and a common room.

The new Stepping Stone will replace the program’s current building, which is two stories, limiting the program’s ability to serve residents with mobility needs, and is also more than 100 years old, making repairs difficult and costly.

“Today, which is fittingly the start of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re taking the first step toward a new home for our residents, one that will enable us to better support them on their path toward independent living,” said Steve Howell, CEO of Northeastern Center.  “Like our residents, we are excited to give our Stepping Stone program a fresh start. We can’t wait to see how this brand-new home shapes their lives and helps them find hope, recovery and path forward.”

In addition to improving mobility access, the new Stepping Stone location increases the program’s capacity from seven to eight residents. It will also be conveniently located near Northeastern Center’s Kendallville outpatient office, making it easier and more convenient for residents to access services.

Estimated at approximately $600,000, construction of the new Stepping Stone location will be largely supported by a $441,459 grant from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Division of Mental Health and Addiction. Northeastern Center plans to fund the remainder of the project through the sale of the former Stepping Stone location.

The new building was designed by GEDA Architects of Muncie, and Eagle Contracting of New Haven is the contractor for the project.