Evergreen Elm Inc. held an open house on Tuesday night at their new group home located at 8 Elm Street. A large group of Bradford residents came out to support the work of Evergreen Elm. The organization helps individuals who are mentally challenged to adapt into society. The Benton House, named after Bradford native Rick Benton, was built entirely with the help of local businesses. The new 5,000 square foot house replaces the old victorian home that was destroyed in a fire on April 20th, 2016. Executive Director for Evergreen Elm, Debbie Price spoke with us during the open house.
The house can support 15 mentally challenged men, with some men moving into the Benton House next week. The first floor of the new home houses an educational training center to help teach mentally challenged individuals. Evergreen Elm has also purchased the lot on the other side of the street from the Benton House. They plan to build a garage to house Evergreen Elm vehicles. Work on the new garage is set to start next month.