SUPPORT HOME GETS HELP
Area businesses step in to help out a not-for-profit sober house for women
After a contractor failed to finish the renovation of the kitchen at a sober house for women, several businesses in the community stepped in to help out, Susan Brisbois said.
Brisbois said she in 2015 opened the not-for-profit Serenity Scene, her sober house for women in recovery from alcoholism and substance abuse. She said the kitchen in the Rifton home was very small and the group held some bake sales and other events to raise $10,000 to renovate the space.
With that money, a local contractor was hired, but didn’t complete the job, Brisbois said.
Brisbois said the contractor required a deposit, which she paid him. He began work on the kitchen, but then said he needed more money, which was paid to him, she said. Brisbois said the contractor came back a few more times and “opened the kitchen up completely,” but never did the renovation work. She said she called him several times, but he kept saying he could not return or was going on vacation.
“One excuse after the next,” Brisbois said. She said that happened in June 2017 and she ended up hiring a different contractor to finish the job.
The goal of Serenity Scene, Brisbois said, is to provide supportive housing to the women and help them become positive, drugand alcoholfree members of society.
Brisbois said she had a friend in recovery who put her in touch with Fred Drake of Damour Drake in Kingston. She said she paid Drake $2,000 to work on the kitchen.
“This guy was amazing,” Brisbois said. She said Drake showed up on time and with a crew of workers. He ended up tearing off roofing work
the previous contractor had done because it did not comply with the building code, Brisbois added. She said he also removed all the trash left by the first contractor.
Drake also went to local businesses, which offered Serenity Scene their assistance, Brisbois said. She said Herzog’s in Kingston donated siding and shingles for the project, while Home Depot in the town of Ulster donated insulation. Brisbois said Lowe’s in New Paltz donated flooring, lights and
paint. And the Kiwanis Club of Kingston donated $700, she said.
“It was amazing,” Brisbois said. She said her organization had been “really stuck” before the people and businesses came together to help out.
The money she paid Drake really went to his crew, Brisbois added. She said he provided his labor for free.
“He’s an awesome guy,” Brisbois said. “They’re very few and far between.”
Brisbois said the kitchen
renovation is largely completed, but the space still needs reinstallation of its heating system. She said the first contractor took out the heating registers and Drake was unable to put them back. An electric heater is currently in use until someone can be hired to fix the heat, Brisbois said.
The women who live in Serenity Scene were still able to cook dinner for Thanksgiving and Christmas, Brisbois added.
Brisbois said she purchased
the house on Rifton Terrace to provide sober living for women. She said she has worked as a substance abuse counselor for 25 years and there was no place for her to refer women to.
Serenity Scene has 11 bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room, living room and large deck, Brisbois said. She said there is also a small pond on the property and the women who live there raise chickens.
There are currently nine
residents of the house, Brisbois said. She said four of those are working, but all the women attend meetings and have sponsors to help with their recovery. The goal of Serenity Scene, Brisbois said, is to provide supportive housing to the women and help them become positive, drug- and alcohol-free members of society. And part of that involves helping the women build their selfesteem and rebuild connections with their families, she said.