On Sunday, August 1st, we lost a friend. A community leader. And a champion for The Healing Place.
Jesse Bollinger, Jr. died at the age of 92.
Jesse worked alongside The Healing Place well before it was The Healing Place. Of all his many endeavors and accomplishments, Jesse was most proud of his work with THP.
In 1985, Jesse collaborated with Father John Morgan and built the Morgan Center at 1020 West Market. The Morgan Center was a cutting-edge homeless shelter modeled after one of the many senior care facilities that Jesse built. It was dedicated in memory of his parents. In 1992, Jesse renovated the buildings 1017 and 1019 West Market that became the Sobering Up Center for the Morgan Center. Jesse again stepped in to help the Morgan Center by constructing the transitional housing building at 1000 West Market St., now called the Brady Center providing transitional housing for 145 men. Jesse dedicated the Brady Center in memory of his late son, Jesse III. Jesse’s work wasn’t finished. In 2005, Jesse began the construction of the new women’s campus at 15th and Hill providing recovery facilities for 250 women seeking sobriety.
Over the last 36 years Jesse and his wife, Suzy faithfully supported The Healing Place with their time, talent, and treasure. The Healing Place today is a long-term residential social model peer driven 12 step recovery program with multiple program outreaches serving 1,000 individuals every day at no cost to the client. None of these accomplishments would have been possible without Jesse’s passion, dedication, humility, and vision.
Thank you, Jesse.
Suzy,
May the Lord bless and comfort you and your family during this time of grief.
Jesse was such an amazing, caring, generous, and kind-hearted man! He was truly a blessing to this community! His legacy will continue on, saving countless lives of those struggling with alcoholism and addiction, by helping them achieve and maintain sobriety.
Thank you for your love, kindness, and generosity to those in the community who desperately need help, but are often overlooked and turned away! The Bollinger family is truly a blessing!