A man buys raffle tickets at Light House Sober Living’s Annual Reverse Raffle on May 9. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

PORT CLINTON – When Casey Flick finished treatment at Legends Recovery Center in Green Springs, she moved into the Light House Sober Living women’s house in Port Clinton to have time to build on the strong recovery foundation she had established at Legends. At Light House, she found the support she needed to continue her recovery journey.

On May 9, Light House hosted its annual Reverse Raffle at the Knights of Columbus so it can continue its mission of providing sober living housing for men and women in the early days of recovery.

“I’ve been at Light House almost two months,” Flick said. “It’s given me a safe place to get back on my feet.”

A woman gets ready to win a prize at the Reverse Raffle. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

The women’s home, which is led by house manager Miranda Mann, provides recovery services and supportive relationships.

“My main thing was building community and sober support and female relationships,” Flick said. “Miranda is amazing. She’s so supportive. She lets us make our own decisions but is there to help us.”

The Light House Annual Reverse Raffle was organized by Jessica Karazsia, Jodie Zbierajewski and Kenn Bower, Jr. About 175 people purchased tickets for the event, which included dinner, music, a silent auction and games.

From left, Light House women’s house manager, Miranda Mann and event co-organizers Jessica Karazsia and Jodi Zbierajewski pause for a photo at the Reverse Raffle. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

Among the attendees was Brenda Brahier, an OSU Extension, SNAP-Ed Program Assistant. She said she attended the event to support Light House and spend time with some of the people who attend her classes.

“I do different programs for Light House men and women. I teach life skills like cooking and food budgeting,” Brahier said. “We meet twice a month. It’s one of my favorite programs. I love the people.”

Proceeds from the Reverse Raffle will go into Light House’s general fund, and some of the money will be used to pay for unexpected repairs at the women’s home.

Ottawa County Major Crimes Unit Officer, Trevor Johnson, left, served as the event emcee. He stands here with Light House Sober Living Executive Director, Kenn Bower, Jr. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

“We’ve had some pretty big projects at the women’s home this year that were not projected in the budget,” Bower said. “We had to replace a main sewer line and had some structural stuff happen. This will help offset that cost.”

Karazia said donations will also help Light House eventually become financially independent.

“The donations help us be more fiscally solvent. Our ultimate goal is to be self-sustaining,” she said.

The Cinco de Mayo-themed event included a taco dinner. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

In the meantime, Karazsia is grateful for the immense community support.

“Light House is doing great. This year, we’ve seen more community involvement,” she said. “We had more companies support us than ever and more people giving donations. It’s the cause. People support this organization.”