Faith Haven leaves residents in distress

Uncertainty swirled around Faith Haven's sober-living home in Charleston Thursday as anxious residents were left to fend for themselves amid word that the group's president had dissolved the organization.

Ten residents remained in the 6,000-square-foot mansion at 64 Rutledge Ave., but it's unclear how long they will be allowed to stay. Faith Haven hasn't paid the rent and the house manager walked off the job Wednesday night, leaving the group of recovering alcoholics and drug addicts with no supervision or assistance, residents and the landlord said.

Residents have banded together to support one another's sobriety. Some are making plans to move out, but others have nowhere else to go. A few are fresh out of detox and struggling to keep their addictions in check.

One woman said it was all she could do to keep from turning to cocaine. Another resident, a man in his 60s, had to get a housemate to drive him to a hospital Wednesday night for a medical emergency. He likened the situation at Faith Haven to doctors and nurses abandoning a hospital and leaving patients to care for one another.

A few residents clung to talk that Faith Haven Director Wendy Johnston was trying to open a new facility in Mount Pleasant by this weekend. That seemed unlikely, as Johnston was fired on Tuesday by board president Charles Dukes, who also filed paperwork with the Secretary of State's office dissolving Faith Haven as a nonprofit corporation.

Johnston did not return phone calls Thursday seeking comment. Dukes declined to speak about Faith Haven when reached by phone.

Johnston, a former car dealer facing judgments of more than $500,000 for unpaid debts, founded Faith Haven late last year. She moved the program into a Daniel Island condominium complex, but it was evicted in August after failing to pay rent, according to court documents and her former landlord.

Johnston relocated Faith Haven to the stately mansion on Rutledge Avenue, which had been on the market for 13 months for $2.5 million. Dan Mengedoht, whose family owns the home, said his family thought they would be helping a good cause. Neighbors, however, soon complained about noise, disruptions and a lack of supervision at the home.

Former residents C.J. Black and Lori Major said Faith Haven offered little in the way of counseling or other assistance, and the operation always seem to be short on money and supplies. Black said Johnston quickly put residents to work trying to raise donations.

Neighbor Marilyn Johnson said her church, First Scots Presbyterian Church, donated $7,500 to Faith Haven to purchase a van to transport residents to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and other functions. The van never materialized, however, and residents said they ended up driving their own cars.

Johnston would not discuss the church donation or details of Faith Haven's budget when contacted earlier this week. She pointed out that residents can stay in the program for eight weeks at no charge, and that the group depended on charitable contributions to operate. Residents also were required to apply for food stamps and then pool their stipends to help pay for groceries, she said.

Black, Major and five others left the house Saturday night after a disagreement with Johnston over her decision to allow a former house manager to return to the home after his arrest for driving under the influence. They were worried about his drinking, and he had borrowed money from residents without paying it back, they said.

Johnston has said she felt the man deserved a second chance and that the other residents had violated house rules by loaning him money in the first place. When they refused to accept her decision and announced their intention to leave, she ordered them to get off the property in 15 minutes. Some hailed from as far away as Hilton Head Island.

Community volunteers took some of these residents into their own homes. Caterer Barry Waldrop, for instance, gave shelter to three residents, while bank worker Judy Wilson took two women into her West Ashley home. They are working with pastors and other volunteers to find more permanent arrangements for these people.

April Boshard is one of the women staying with Wilson. Boshard came to Faith Haven after years of substance abuse and living on the streets of North Charleston. She thought she had finally found the peace she'd been looking for."She promised me a clean and sober living environment, and all we got was chaos."

Still, some have not given up hope. William Drolshagen, a crack addict and alcoholic still staying in the home, said he has no intention of leaving or giving into doubts. "I'm not going anywhere," he said. "I believe in Wendy."