Local nonprofit gets $1 million to help fight opioid crisis

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – The Zepf Center has received a $1 million grant to help fight the opioid crisis in Ohio.

According to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, 3,651 people died from opioid overdoses year 2023. That number has more than doubled in the past decade.

“I think Ohio is being hit hard by the opioid epidemic,” said Deb Flores, CEO of the Zepf Center.

The Zepf Center is a non-profit organization based in Lucas and Woods counties dedicated to helping people find hope, and prevent and recover from addiction. It was awarded a government grant to combat opioid use.

“I think people often think that drug use is a choice; it’s clearly a disease,” Flores said.

Flores said mental illness and childhood trauma can drive people to use substances.

“We don’t say what’s wrong with you, we say ‘what happened?’ and we try to help them heal,” Flores said.

The Zepf Center provides a variety of services including detoxification programs, counseling, groups for mothers and fathers, and recovery housing. It also offers general health services.

Thomas Crowe knows first hand how the Zepf Center can change a person’s life.

“This trip saved my life. This team here became my village,” Crowe said.

Crowe once used the services at the Zepf Center. Now he is part of the team helping others through their journeys.

“I spent almost 20 years either on the streets or in addiction, and I came to this place and it gave me a new purpose,” Crowe said. “Without them, I don’t know where I would have been or what I would have done. I definitely wouldn’t be here without this team.”

He said these services are important for people struggling with addiction.

“You need what they give you here. You need support from others, you need a family and some people just don’t have that, especially when you’re going through an addiction,” Crowe said.

With a significant grant from the state, the Zepf Center is able to keep its programs running and upgrade its facilities.

“We’ve upgraded some of the flooring, some of the furniture, the kitchenette, and we created a computer lab so we’re helping them with literacy, with employment and staying in touch with their family members,” Flores said.

Flores said she is grateful for the support, but because the Zepf Center received a larger amount in the past, they are now in a deficit. Even more help is needed to keep the nonprofit going.

For more information about the Zepf Center, click here.

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