Rescue for David s House

8/7/2004

DAVID S House has survived for now, thanks to Compass Corp. for Recovery Services. Hopefully, the locally based AIDS service organization won t shut down at all.

We don t hear nearly as much about HIV and AIDS as we did a decade ago. But while public interest in the virus and the disease has diminished, the number of HIV infections is, unfortunately, on the rise. In Lucas County, 159 new cases of HIV infections were diagnosed between 2000 and 2002. It would have been a sad day for the 707 county residents living with HIV/AIDS if David s House had succumbed to its financial woes, as was feared back in April.

But Compass answered the call for help, and area residents should be grateful. As the parent operation for a local addiction treatment agency, Compass opted to work with David s House for 90 days.

Several staff members have been recalled, and others are expected to return. Now, David s House s finances and professional management are stable. The agency, with a $847,000 annual budget, had faced a $200,000 deficit. The house at Nebraska and Detroit avenues is still for sale, and selling it will help satisfy the agency s debts. Meanwhile, David s House clients obtain services at Substance Abuse Services Inc. on Adams Street.

A permanent merger between David s House and Compass could follow. Bill Sanford, Compass president and chief executive said, So far, we think it s been a pretty good marriage.

A final decision on a merger won t come before fall. It s very important that David s House keeps its name and identity, of course. This is no time to stop helping those with this dreaded disease and virus.