Ribbon cut on Northeastern Center’s new Stepping Stone

KENDALLVILLE, Ind. – Residents of Northeastern Center’s Stepping Stone program will be moving into a brand-new home for the holidays.

Thursday, state and local leaders celebrated the completion of the construction project, which began in May, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house.

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

Located at 130 Dagny Drive in Kendallville, the one-story, 2,800-square-foot Stepping Stone building has eight bedrooms, allowing the program to increase capacity by one resident. The location also features 2.5 bathrooms, a kitchen, common room, laundry room, staff office, front and back patios, and parking for staff and residents.

Additionally, the new building is accessible for those with mobility needs, improving the program’s ability to serve residents as compared to its current two-story location. Following the residents’ move to new Stepping Stone (planned for next week), the current location will be put up for sale to help offset the costs of construction.

Construction of the new building was largely supported by a $441,459 grant from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA). Sarah Sailors, director of DMHA, was present for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, as was Zoe Frantz, president and CEO of the Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers.

“This project would not be possible without the support of DMHA, Indiana Council and others at the state level who have advocated for Northeastern Center, and we are extremely grateful for their efforts,” said Steve Howell, CEO of Northeastern Center. “All of our group homes provide structure and support for residents to build life skills, integrate with their community and, eventually, live independently. We are excited to open this brand-new Stepping Stone location for our residents, who will get a fresh start on their own path forward.”

The new building adds to Northeastern Center’s Dagny Drive campus in Kendallville, which already includes the organization’s maintenance building and Promise House residential home, both of which opened in August of 2020. Adjacent to the campus, at 1930 Dowling St., is Northeastern Center’s Kendallville outpatient office, making it easy and convenient for residents of Promise House and Stepping Stone to access services.

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