When people look around the room at Donegal Substance Abuse Alliance (DSAA) in Mount Joy, they might see art supplies, books, yoga mats, free clothing or just places to sit and relax. Stacy Emminger, executive director of DSAA, sees something more.

"I want this place to have the feel of walking into someone's living room," she said. "I want people to feel at home here."

Thanks to a grant from Capital Area Behavioral Health Collaborative, Emminger has been able to transform the space into an even more welcoming spot.

Since mid-June, she's been busy putting the funds to use purchasing new furniture, laptops and a laptop cart, upgraded art supplies and more. "All of the furniture we had before was donated," she stated. "It was wonderful, and I was very appreciative of it, but this was an opportunity to get new stuff, to make more efficient use of the space." Storage bins now keep hygiene supplies organized, while a doorbell lets Emminger know if someone has come in. Clothing is now organized not just by items for men or women, but also by size and style. "Before, everything was sort of scattered around the room, and now there is a place for everything," Emminger explained. "It feels like I have doubled my space."

Emminger helped form DSAA after her 23-year-old son died of a heroin overdose in 2014. She moved the organized into its current space at 78 E. Main St. in 2019. While many of the people who use the location are currently in recovery houses, she emphasized that she offers programs and activities for the public, with plans to add more in the future.

"I want to use this as a community space," she stated. She will start a grief group that's open to the public beginning in September, and she hopes to begin art classes for the public early next year. "Grief group is for anybody who is experiencing grief," she explained. "It doesn't have to be someone who has been affected by substance abuse." She noted that she is not a counselor but is certified in peer support and will use those skills to moderate the group, which will meet twice a month - once in person and once online. Next spring, she hopes to launch a class she'll call Grief 101 to provide grief education.

For now, she's focused on enjoying the redesigned space, which features amenities such as a new coffee bar, a full-size mirror for clients to use when trying on clothes, shelves full of books to borrow, a staff library of resources and a private office for clients to meet one-on-one as needed.

Looking around the room, Emminger smiled as she envisioned all she can offer in the new space, adding, "I tell everyone who comes through those doors, 'This is all for you.'"

Programming at DSAA includes yoga on Monday evenings, a family support group twice a month, open game night for people age 16 and up on the first Friday of the month and a coloring club for people of all ages on the third Friday of the month. For more information, visit http://www.dsasquared.org or search for "Donegal Substance Abuse Alliance" on Facebook.