News / Events

Sep 13, 2021

Grace House Akron to break ground Sept. 15 on new comfort care home

Akron, Ohio –Grace House Akron will officially break ground on Sept. 15 for Akron and Summit County’s only comfort care home serving individuals who may have financial barriers to care and otherwise die alone. Groundbreaking will take place from 11-11:45 a.m. at 475 N. Howard St., Akron.

Grace House will provide support and acceptance to patients during the final stages of life, ensuring that their basic needs of food, water and shelter are met. The home will serve six residents at a time and all services will be free, allowing individuals to pass peacefully. Construction is scheduled for completion in May 2022.

“This groundbreaking is not only for our home but for individuals in our community that are abandoned or alone at the end of life,” said Holly Klein, executive director and co-founder of Grace House.  “We are coming together to create a safe and nurturing environment for individuals that would otherwise die alone in undignified conditions.”

The project has been made possible by the generosity of donors through Grace House’s Built on Love Campaign. The organization is currently on track to reach its campaign goal of $3.5 million and $2.8 million has been committed to the project during the campaign’s quiet phase. The additional dollars are now being raised through the public phase of the campaign. (For more information on the campaign, visit https://www.gracehouseakron.org/built-on-love.)

Campaign co-chairs Nick and Cindy Browning say the project has been a journey and has been made possible by the contributions of so many people “It definitely takes a community to make something like this happen,” said Nick Browning, president of Huntington Bank, Akron Region. (Cindy and Nick Browning are also co-founders of Grace House.)

Event notes:

Speakers at the groundbreaking will include:

• Holly Klein, executive director
• Nick Browning, Board and Campaign Co-Chair, Grace House and President, Huntington Akron
• Dan Horrigan, Mayor, City of Akron
• Ilene Shapiro, Summit County Executive
• Tara Mosely Samples, Councilwoman, Akron Ward 5
• Gino and Barb Faciana, owners, Pleasant Valley Construction
• Dr. Cliff Deveny, CEO of Summa Health (Built on Love honorary campaign chair)

For more information visit www.gracehouseakron.org