By Paul Thompson
Northeast News

When Janee Reed first checked into Sheffield Place, she was simply looking for resources to help get her life back together. At the time she was the mother of four kids, pregnant, dealing with mental health issues, and suffering through the ramifications of a bad relationship.

She knew that she needed help, and Sheffield Place was there for her.

“I reached out to several other places, but when I called Sheffield, it took no time for me to get in,” Reed said. “It was like it was meant to be.”

She never dreamed that in the span of a couple of short years, she would be moving into a house of her own. But that’s exactly what happened five months ago, after Sheffield Place finished rehabbing a home they thought was perfect for Reed and her five young children.

“It’s probably our largest house; it’s three bedrooms, but it’s two bathrooms,” said Sheffield Place Director Kelly Welch. “The second bathroom is huge. It’s perfect for her.”

An ecstatic Reed didn’t waste any time jumping on the offer.

“I was just excited; I was overwhelmed because I was not expecting a house when I got into the program,” Reed said. “I thought it was going to be a long time before I was able to get something of my own.”

Reed’s new home is the seventh house owned and operated by Sheffield Place to be assigned a family. Two more home are currently being rehabbed, and are expected to be ready sometime this winter. Tenants at the Sheffield Place homes pay adjusted rent based on the household income. In most cases, families pay $300-$450 per month, plus utilities. Welch said that Reed was a prime candidate for move-in because she had a steady job, she had found stability in her life, and she wasn’t near the top of the Section 8 list.

“It was a really good fit for her to be at one of the houses,” Welch said.

Today, Reed is confident and at peace with herself, but she says that wasn’t always the case. When she first moved into Sheffield Place, she was shy and didn’t know what to expect. It didn’t take her long, however, to open up.

“I was able to just tell them everything I needed help with, and they were very understanding,” Reed said.

To this day, Reed has a continued presence at Sheffield Place, whether it’s for therapy sessions, meetings with her case worker or other organizational functions. At her day day job, many of her co-workers are other women going through Sheffield Place. Reed tells them how blessed she was to find Sheffield Place, and encourages them to embrace the organization’s offerings.

“Oh my God, you’re in such an awesome place. Take advantage of it,” Reed advises. “Take their help, because you will definitely benefit from it.”