Welcome to the Community Health Center of Akron, Ohio

David Falls never made it to high school.

The Kenmore native quit school in the seventh grade, caught up in alcohol, marijuana, LSD and pain medicines.

Over the years, he would cut grass or shovel snow, whatever would give him enough for a bottle.

He lived under bridges and in garages and abandoned cars. For a while, he slept in a hole dug in a field.

``I was the kind of a drunk, that you'd see me on the street, and you'd say, ``there goes an alcoholic'' -- I was the picture of an alcoholic,'' Falls said.

He was arrested for public intoxication and other minor crimes. Nothing major, he said.

``Even though I was a drunk, I still carried a little bit of respect,'' Falls said.

One night three men beat him with baseball bats and left him for dead on railroad tracks. He survived that; it wasn't until he had a stroke that he decided to stay sober.

Falls, 51, is taking heart medicine and dealing with other ailments. He's sober with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous and a residential treatment program offered by the Community Health Center.

On June 13, he starts a new phase of his life, sharing a home recently constructed for the health center and its subsidiary, the Ohio Multi-County Development Corp.

That day, 15 people will move into Meadowlark Lane, a development of six units on Michaels Drive in Lakemore and one unit in Cuyahoga Falls.

The residents have finished treatment at area residential facilities and stayed sober for three months or more, said Joanne Basile, housing coordinator for Community Health Center.

Like David Falls, they have struggled with mental illness and drug or alcohol abuse, but are capable of living independently, Basile said. They will get counseling and help finding a job. Those who didn't finish school will be encouraged to get at least a GED.

Walter Bartoloevic, who grew up in Green, could never stay sober when he lived in public housing.

The police -- who all knew him -- would find him face down in the street or sidewalk, he said. He was also a regular at hospitals, sometimes after drinking rubbing alcohol or mouthwash.

Bartoloevic, 45, is thankful that Community Health Center and other agencies took him out of a bad environment and are tending to his needs.

``They made it sound like I was worth the effort,'' he said.

Meadowlark Lane residents can live there as long as they need to, as long as they follow a counselor's treatment plan and stay sober, Basile said.

One unique feature is that the homes are completely furnished, with bedding, dinnerware and kitchen utensils included. Most of the residents have almost nothing; rent is 30 percent of income or $25 if there is no income.

Theresa Haught, a Kenmore native, needs the stability.

She's kicked the cocaine habit, but as Basile says, still has ``a lot on her plate.''

Haught, 44, has constant headaches and memory and vision problems after an enraged relative (now in prison) beat her. Her husband died in November and then her father and brother died in December, all of natural causes.

She is looking forward to better times and getting back what she's lost.

Haught hopes to have her three children -- 24, 22 and 14 -- back in her life as they used to be.

Bartoloevic, who says he came from a loving family and once had a good job, says his obsession for alcohol is gone. He wants to enjoy simple things again, like going out for ice cream.

Falls plans to fish at nearby Springfield Lake, but on a more serious note is working on his GED and hopes to study at the University of Akron. Becoming a drug and alcohol counselor, he said, would let him ``give back'' to the community.

Basile said all the residents were screened and their backgrounds were checked. People convicted of arson or child molestation are not eligible to live at the new homes, but a drug conviction may not keep them out. After all, this is a treatment program, Basile said.

A health-center employee will use an office in one of the Lakemore homes and check in on them, she said.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provided $1,076,200 for construction in Lakemore and Cuyahoga Falls. HUD provides further funds for residents' educational, health care and counseling needs.

The Multi-County Development Corp. provides housing for 200 people, including low-income families, senior citizens, and people with addictions.

Community Health Center and the development corporation are holding an open house from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday at 2670 Michaels Drive. Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served.

To make a reservation or get more information, call 330-315-5590.