Welcome Visitor

1. Morrison House Public Service Announcement. Audio. Listen.
2. Brochure. Adobe PDF.

The Morrison House, formally the Mad River Railroad Bed and Breakfast, was built in 1880 and one of the premier stately homes in the Tiffin area. The structure offers over 8,000 square feet of living space. Because of it's size, it offers an extraordinary opportunity for offering unique transitional housing for families and individuals needing a hand's up.

How We Are Funded

We currently receive grant dollars from the Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA) and the Ohio Department of Mental Health Addiction Services (OhioMHAS). We have also received donations from Seneca County area agencies and businesses since our planning and construction phase began in 2009. (Special thanks to the Community Task Force, First Call for Help and the United Way office).

We've been open and serving the homeless population in Seneca County since December 5, 2012. Many of those who have been taken in by the Morrison House are able to move into the area community and are currently stable in their new housing environment. We are so proud of these former and current tenants for making positive changes in their lives.

The bottom line? This program is working. We're hopeful, with your help, to provide these essential services for years to come. Please continue to support our efforts. The funding that we receive from state grants is not enough to keep the house open and the programs running.

Do not hesitate to contact us with additional questions. We are available to speak with your business or organization to share more information about the Morrison House Project.

Monetary donations can be mailed to: New Housing Ohio, Inc., c/o The Morrison House Project, P.O. Box 25, Tiffin, Ohio 44883.

How The Community Can Help

1. THERE ARE HOMELESS PEOPLE IN TIFFIN. The original Community Task Force for Community Assistance in conjunction with New Housing Ohio purchased the former Bed and Breakfast at 107 West Perry Street and renovated the building for a transitional homeless shelter. This facility is named The Morrison House in honor of the family that has done much to make this project possible.
2. The Morrison House is supervised 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It provides a safe haven for singles and families for a period of up to 120 days. All residents are subject to background screening and required to participate in ongoing programs to help reestablish themselves in the community as productive citizens.
3. A supervisory board comprised of members of the Tiffin community oversees the administration of The Morrison House and activities. Although a large portion of funding is provided through grants from the state and federal government, there still remains ongoing operational and maintenance expenses that need to come from a wide base of community support.
4. Any support for The Morrison House, financial, in-kind or volunteer assistance is greatly appreciated.
5. OPERATIONAL EXPENSES FROM NON-GRANT FUNDING. Estimated between $3,500 - $4,500 monthly. One of the requirements of the Community Task Force is for the transitional homeless shelter be supervised 24 hours a day. Although this makes the facility more expensive to operate it also makes it a safe environment and allows the trained staff more time to concentrate their efforts to get residents back on their feet and into society. Therefore, in order to sustain this effort, we are looking for private assistance in a variety of areas.
6. FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS. Certain obligations (staff salaries, utilities, repairs) will require cash outlays. Donations to The Morrison House are greatly appreciated. However, our primary concern is sustainability. Small monthly, quarterly or yearly pledges by individuals or organizations will be a significant benefit to our continued viability.
7. IN-KIND DONATIONS. Housing homeless individuals requires many of the everyday basics that we take for granted. Linens, bedding, hygienic supplies, diapers, food-stuffs and toiletries are just a few of the necessities that The Morrison House needs to operate.
8. VOLUNTEER ASSISTANCE. Some facets of operating The Morrison House do not require cash expense if volunteer driven, such as, lawn-mowing, minor repairs and maintenance, light house-cleaning, meals for the residents and transformation needs. All of these concerns will have to be addressed. It is our hope that volunteers from the community will step up to assist with these and similar tasks. Anyone interested in participating in this worthwhile opportunity just contact us.

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   For information contact:
   The Morrison House, Regional Director:
   Challie Briihl
   Phone: 567-201-8019
   Email: Briihl@newhousingohio.org

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   Your help will enrich the lives of countless others in our local community.