Earlier this fall, Robin Griffin-Lohman and Nich Lohman purchased the home at 810 Meadowbrook Rd. 
Ever since, they’ve spent their weekends and days off there, fixing up, cleaning. They’ve painted the exterior, put down new flooring in the basement, removed wallpaper, replaced an electrical panel, installed a storm door, trimmed limbs — all part of the process of making a house a home. Just not for them.
The couple are preparing the residence for Oxford House, a home for women recovering from alcohol or drug abuse.
Those unfamiliar with the world of recovery likely know little about Oxford House. The group’s impact is significant, its approach well-studied by those who work with substance abuse. But it is decidedly low-key.
Their concept is bare bones, but elegant: Offer residents a “realistic opportunity to get comfortable enough in sobriety to stay clean and sober forever.”
The non-profit began in 1975 with a single rented home for men in Silver Springs, Md. At the end of 2022, Oxford House included 3,450 residences in 47 states and housed more than 80,000 individuals. In Kansas, there are 152 Oxford Houses; the closest to Iola are in Pittsburg and Lawrence.
To establish a new home, each residence obtains a charter with three clear rules: the house must be democratically run, support itself financially, and residents must agree to immediately expel anyone who uses alcohol or illicit drugs. Houses are separated by gender.
INITIALLY, Griffin-Lohman and Lohman planned on informing neighbors and educating them about the non-profit before it got up and running. They were beaten to the punch when several Meadowbrook residents protested the idea at Iola City Council’s Oct. 23 meeting.
Though the pushback was harsh, the couple continues to prepare the residence for Oxford House, with plans for occupancy around January 2024.
THE INSPIRATION
Griffin-Lohman can be hard to read. One could almost confuse her reserved nature with a tendency to acquiesce. But speak with her, and it becomes clear her motivations for establishing an Oxford House run deep, her convictions firm.
“I care about safe housing for women,” she said simply. “And I believe in recovery.”
Griffin-Lohman, who works as the interim Intellectual/Development Disability manager for the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, also currently serves as co-chair on a capital campaign for Hope Unlimited, an organization that serves survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. (Husband Nich is the other chair.) She is also a board member for USD 257.
Over the years, she’s gained an acute understanding of how the right type of recovery programs can alleviate trauma – and how the wrong kind merely delays healing. She’s no stranger to the Oxford House model; Griffin-Lohman owns a Pittsburg residence that Oxford House rents as a recovery home for men. It’s been two years now, and Griffin-Lohman says she has had no problems.
The experience led her to push for establishing a women’s residence in Iola. The need is clear; there’s no Oxford House within an hour’s drive, and she sees distinct advantages here.
