Planet Fitness builds fitness space for program for women in crisis
Lydia's House of Hope helps women dealing with homelessness
Lydia's House of Hope helps women dealing with homelessness
Lydia's House of Hope helps women dealing with homelessness
The slogan "judgment-free zone" is taking on new meaning in Somersworth, where Planet Fitness built a private gym in a home for women in crisis.
The project started with Gov. Chris Sununu touring Lydia's House of Hope about a year ago, and it ended with a ribbon-cutting Monday. Lydia's House of Hope takes in women, along with their children, who have only ever known homelessness and poverty, and they commit to at least a year of an individualized program.
"What we do from day one is help them get the independence they need," said Theresa Tozier, founder of Lydia's House of Hope. "We help with getting the life skills they need. Whatever their situation is, no one is so hopeless there's no hope for them."
The program's holistic approach was missing one element, until the fitness space opened Monday.
"I think we were all just envisioning a couple small pieces of equipment here," Sununu said. "What they have created here is unbelievable."
The governor connected the home's founder with Chris Rondeau, the CEO of Planet Fitness. Corporate employees worked with vendors to transform the empty basement into a private gym.
"They wanted some fitness equipment, and I said, 'That's kind of in my wheelhouse. I can take care of that pretty easily,'" Rondeau said.
"They put in the ceiling. They put in new sprinkler heads. They put the floor in. They put in new walls," Tozier said. "They gave us signage and, like, 12 pieces of equipment in there."
Ten families live in the home, which can house up to 25 people. The women who run the program said the Planet Fitness motto is a perfect fit.
"To be able to come down here and to physically work out helps them emotionally and mentally," Tozier said. "It actually transforms them."
Carrie Richards, a graduate of the program, said she's excited to use the new space.
"I actually have a 13-year-old daughter who was here with me as well, so she actually comes back with me on weekends when I work here, so she's super excited to go down, so we're going to do it together," Richards said.