Former Assisted Living Facility May House Burn Recovery Center

CUTLER CREEK – Many residents of Ouray County are warmly familiar with what draws Charity Freeland here – a strong, caring community and magnificent surroundings where one can’t help but relax and smile. Freeland wants to share those qualities with people who have been through a journey similar to hers.

In 1993, at the age of 17, Freeland was in a horrific car accident that left second and third degree burns over 75 percent of her body. Two and half months in the hospital marked the start of her healing. Seven years and 25 surgeries helped with the external healing, but inside, Freeland said, there was still much work to do.

One year after the wreck, Freeland visited Colorado with her father, where the beauty of the surrounding mountains inspired her dream: a place where burn victims like herself could transition back into life outside the hospital – an “oasis filled with love, compassion and opportunities” where children and young adults can discover a new self.

In 1995, Freeland and her family moved to Montrose, where a loving community and beautiful surroundings have contributed to Freeland’s physical and psychological healing. Her dream of a place where others can heal has grown along with that. Hope’s Journey International, formerly Hope Springs, is the culmination of that dream.

When a friend told her about the former assisted living center that was for sale in Ouray County, Freeland was not actively pursing her dream of creating a recuperation center. Nevertheless, it was a perfect fit, with nearby public forests and a neighboring horse ranch, just off the highway yet peaceful and serene. She went with a friend to look at the property, and her dream began to come alive.

The property operated as an assisted living facility for 10 people in the 1980s and 90s but closed in 2000. As Hope’s Journey, the center would house six to eight children or young adults as well as on-site caregivers and educators.

Freeland said that each child would be at the facility for an anticipated one to three months. During their stay, Freeland said she hopes to “instill confidence in the lives of many whose identities and abilities have been shattered through injury and trauma.”

According to their literature, the vision of Hope’s Journey International is for “these individuals to have the opportunity to see their own self-worth and abilities before being thrust into a world of critical people, including peers, who often lack compassion and love. We will accomplish this through horseback riding, music and art therapy, excursions into the national forest, various outdoor activities, and a professional staff who enable these individuals to find creative ways to perform any activity or everyday function that they wish to, but think themselves unable.”

The center will employ outside professionals to provide physical and occupational therapy, counseling, therapeutic riding, dance and drama, swimming, and skiing. According to the organization’s business plan, “Although there will be much available as far as therapies and activities, our goals are not to put these children into a rigorous schedule. We want to discover each individual’s interests and goals and then motivate them in those areas. We desire that they see this place as somewhere to relax, be themselves, but also enjoy themselves. We hope that there is enough variety so that they may each find something that interests them, whether it be something new that they’ve never done, or something that they already excel at and just want to spend more time doing.”

Children will be referred from burn treatment programs nation-wide, such as the Phoenix Society, the American Burn Association, Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, nationwide burn camps, firefighters’ associations, as well as therapists, counselors and other burn care workers. As a nonprofit organization, their goal is to make it affordable to all with scholarships funding those needed financial assistance.

On June 19, Freeland introduced Hope’s Journey International to her Cutler Creek neighbors with a neighborhood meeting. Turnout at the meeting was good and the “overall feeling was positive,” said Freeland.

Concerns from neighbors included increased traffic in the neighborhood and the potential burden on the special-needs program at the Ouray school system. However, with only three to five live-in staff and six to eight children or young adults participating in the center at a time, Freeland said traffic is not expected to be excessive. An on-site teacher/tutor will work with each child and its home school system to keep them up to date on their studies.

Freeland stressed that she does not want to “push anything on the community,” but wants to work with neighbors. In Freeland’s eyes, a great strength of this area is its sense of community. She found it a safe place to learn who she was and find her identity. Confident that this is a good place for kids to come, she would like to offer the chance for others to heal in the peacefulness our region offers.

To move forward with the project, Hope’s Journey is applying to the Ouray County Board of Commissioners for an amendment to the current zoning to allow them to operate an assisted living home, as was previously done on the location. If granted, they will then ask for a special use permit. They anticipate this to be a six- to eight-month process. During that time, they will continue fundraising and public awareness meetings.

“If you support this idea, share that with your county commissioners,” said Freeland. Hope’s Journey is also accepting tax-deductible financial donations. To learn more or to volunteer, contact Freeland at Hope’s Journey Int’l, Attn: Charity Freeland, P.O. Box 2149, Montrose, Colorado 81402-2149. Reach Freeland by phone at 970/209-6855. Their business plan is available online (www.hopesjourneyintl.org), as are updates on the organization’s progress.