'A Hallowed Place:' New sober living home to open in Highland Springs

A Hallowed Place, a four-bedroom sober living home run by the Henrico faith-based non-profit A Few Good Roots Inc., is planning an open house 3 p.m. Mar. 21 at 5 N. Battery St., Highland Springs and will officially open Apr. 1.

A Hallowed Place will house eight men from the ages of 18-45 who deal with substance abuse issues and have been previously incarcerated for non-violent offenses. Those living in the home will have individual and group therapy, opportunities for employment and/or community service, on-site NA and AA meetings and also case management, which includes medical, psychiatric, legal, financial and educational resources among others.

A Few Good Roots Inc. was created in 2016 by Lichele Billups.

Billups, who was raised in Henrico, attributes her mother and the church as inspiration for the organization’s inception. Growing up, Billups’ mother ran multiple group homes in Richmond, which led to Billups working in the criminal justice and mental health fields and also in group homes for at-risk children with behavioral issues, she said.

“I saw a lot of lack of services and those falling in the gaps across the system, and I wanted to see where I can fill in those gaps by providing services and support for people who just need to know that there’s someone out there who believes in them, even when they don't believe in themselves,” Billups said.

The services provided by A Few Good Roots include the case management program “Just Call,” access to food with “Auntie’s Pantry,” bags filled with toiletries and snacks with “Day One,” and housing, free therapy and drug education with “Safe for Tonight.”

The location of A Hallowed Place was chosen based on close proximity to the GRTC bus system and the Henrico Mental Health & Developmental Services East Center on Nine Mile Road, Billups said.

She has been working out the logistics of A Hallowed Place for the past three years and has gotten through issues with funding by forming an official board, recruiting volunteers, hosting community events and receiving help from family and friends and other businesses who offer donations and sponsorships, she said.

Residents of the home who aren’t able to afford the monthly fee of $525 for housing and services will be sponsored by local resources. Corporate sponsors in the past for programs offered by A Few Good Roots have included Walmart and Publix, and Henrico’s ClearView Counseling is currently one.

Aside from donations, the organization is currently looking for businesses to come in and teach the residents particular skills and a van for assisting with transportation for employment opportunities and family visits, Billups said.

Billups said she chose the home’s name carefully.

“A Hallowed Place means fullness, it’s a place of reverence, but a lot of times with substance abuse and mental health and a lot of other challenges that people face, they develop some ‘hollow’ places,” she said. “[It’s about] acknowledging your hollow places and then seeking the Lord to guide you and to help heal, so you can plan to grow from whatever challenges you have faced in life.

“Faith plays a big part in my life and the members of my board, because we strongly believe that without the Lord, we can't do the work that we do. When our budget gets short, when we get tired, it’s God who fills in the empty spots and makes a way. Without God, nothing that we do is possible.”

While A Hallowed Place is a sober home specifically for men, Billups and the board members of A Few Good Roots are hoping to open a women’s home by the end of 2021, she said.

“My hope is to support people while they navigate their path and work on becoming fulfilled and independent in their future,” she said. “We just want to support them with whatever they need to conquer the things that have been holding them back, in all aspects of life.”