Andrew Pons and Melissa Steubing
Thanks to the generous contributions of many in the Kent County area, the Pavilion Project at the A. F. Whitsitt Center has been completed.
The Pavilion Project started July 2014 and was spearheaded by Program Director, Andrew M. Pons and Crisis Beds counselor Melissa Stuebing. The final assembly of the pavilion was on the 7th of December 2015, marking the completion of the project.
“The new pavilion will be used to enhance the experience of patients in residential treatment by providing an outside space for individual and group sessions as well as for meditation and recreation. This is just one of the many initiatives to make services at A.F. Whitsitt more holistic, enjoyable and effective,” says Andrew Pons.
“Addiction affects more than just the addict, it affects the whole community. We all know at least one neighbor, co-worker, classmate, church member or friend that has been affected personally by addiction. It doesn’t discriminate. These are the people in our community that we are striving to help,” says Melissa Stuebing.
A.F. Whitsitt Center services 9 Maryland counties and has 40 beds, 4 of which are crisis beds. The A. F. Whitsitt Center is a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week residential treatment facility offering treatment to adults ages 18 and over suffering from chemical dependency and co-occurring disorders.
According to a recent survey by SAMHSA, approximately 7 percent of Maryland residents reported past-month use of illicit drugs; the national average was 8 percent. The drug-induced death rate in Maryland exceeds the national average. Heroin is the most commonly cited drug among primary drug treatment admissions in Maryland.
Thank you to our contributors for donating their labor, materials or finances toward the project. Contributors include the Town of Chestertown, Hope Fellowship, Rotary Club of Chestertown, Eastern Shore Alano Club, Bayside Hoyas, Gillespie Brothers, Chesapeake Outdoor Structures as well as individual donors and volunteers.
A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held to recognize and thank contributors later this spring.
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