TouchPointe celebrates ribbon cutting at new location in Mount Vernon

MOUNT VERNON — TouchPointe Marriage & Family Resources celebrated moving into its new location with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 20.

Although it took a while to get there, co-founders Dan and Barb Humphrey are happy with the new location.

The organization moved in February from its former location on Howard Street to renovated offices at 107. W. Gambier St. Before that, it was on South Norton Street.

“That was not in the best neighborhood, and our clients did not feel safe at times,” said Dan Humphrey, who co-founded the organization with his wife, Barb.

“So we looked for another location, and the depot next to Comfort Inn became available. That one-year lease turned into a three-year lease. We just kept looking, but everything we looked at cost an arm and a leg or wasn’t suitable for what we needed.”

Then they found the former T-Shirt Express building on West Gambier.

“We knew it would take a lot of renovation, but it’s really well located,” Humphrey said, noting it is close to Knox Recovery, the Winter Sanctuary, Knox Public Health, and Interchurch Social Services.

Additionally, it is within walking distance of the courts, and The Freedom Center will soon move nearby.

“We feel like we are in a good location for the people we are serving,” Humphrey said.

Prayer walls

Renovations started in January 2023.

“In our minds we thought we’d be in in three or four months, but when you’re dealing with commercial property, you have to meet state requirements and permits. We did that, but it just took a long time for that whole process to come together,” Humphrey said.

A paid coordinator oversaw the process, but three retired volunteers did the bulk of the work. Humphrey described them as “men who are willing to serve.”

When it was time to install drywall, other TouchPointe volunteers stepped up to leave a lasting legacy.

“We invited people to come and write their prayers on the studs and the back side of the drywall, so they will be there for a long time,” Humphrey explained. “We had probably 25 or 30 people come in the evening or afternoon and wrote prayers. Those prayers are still there, even though they’re covered up with paint.”

The messages included prayers for TouchPointe advocate Jessica Reynolds, the organization, and present and future clientele.

The next chapter

With its location secure through a 10-year lease and enough space to accommodate its needs, TouchPointe is poised for its next chapter.

The Humphreys have served as unpaid volunteers since founding TouchPointe in 2010. They feel it is time to take the next step and recruit a full-time paid executive director.

“We are both in good health and will probably continue working with couples, but for the organization to move to the next level, we need someone who can devote their full time to the organization,” Humphrey said.

“For the executive director, we’re looking more at fundraising, strategic planning, and mission drift. We don’t want mission drift; we want to stay steady.”

Humphrey noted that after 14 years in the community, TouchPointe is well respected and well-known to those who work with the organization. However, he said the public does not have a clue what TouchPointe does.

“One of the things we need to do is be out there and talk to people, and that includes increasing our donor base,” Humphrey said. “We need to get out there in the community and share the stories of what we’re doing.”

He noted that TouchPointe touches people’s lives and points them to Christ but said, “We’re not Bible beaters.”

“We’re going to meet people where they are, develop that relationship, and trust we’ll be able to share our faith,” he said. “On the other hand, we don’t want to be just another social agency, because there are a lot of people that can do what we do. You need to have that spiritual component.”

TouchPointe mission

Humphrey said many people who call TouchPointe think it is a counseling service. However, TouchPointe staff members do not qualify as licensed counselors. Humphrey describes them as coaches.

Barb Humphrey said TouchPointe’s logo helps describe its mission, starting with the house.

“Our whole focus when we started was how do we enable families to function well,” she explained. “We came out of education, seeing the struggle the kids have when they are dysfunctional for a variety of reasons, so the three fingers turned down point to the struggles or barriers kids and families face to a healthy, functional home.”

Barb noted that TouchPointe started by focusing on healing marriages. However, they soon realized the impacts of not having a job, not having their children in a healthy place because of housing, or not getting their family back together because of addiction.

“Then, of course, the pointing finger is extended up because we know that ultimately the ultimate answer is Jesus, and so we want to point that direction,” she said.

TouchPointe is accepting applications for its executive director position. Those interested are encouraged to send a resume and cover letter to TouchPointe, P.O. Box 93, Fredericktown, OH 43019, or email them to info@touchpointe.org.

Below are photos from the ribbon-cutting ceremony.