Have a Coke and a smile - and a safehouse

Cynthia Brubaker, Bloomington Middle Way House project development coordinator, pointed with the tip of her shoe to a few rough patches on the floor. In these places, the terrazzo, a cement mixture made from bits of chopped up marble, showed evidence of corrosion. \nIn the old Coca-Cola factory located on South Washington Street, the only visible reminders of the soda are the brand name scrolled over the door and the spots where the Coke syrup spilled through the slats of the conveyer belts, leaving its acidic signature on the floor. \nNow, the historic landmark is a vacant time capsule from the early 1920s. In another year, it will have a purpose. \nMiddle Way House received possession of the bottling plant last year when the Bloomington Plan Commission passed an amendment to change a zoning commitment on the property. The nonprofit organization purchased the plant for about $500,000 in order to provide crisis housing for battered women and children. It will cost another $3.5 million to renovate, furbish and jumpstart the new facility. \nThe current Middle Way House, located on the corner of Kirkwood and Madison avenues, cannot accommodate the increasing number of occupants needing emergency shelter. The bottling plant, to be named New Wings, will be divided into 25 apartment units. \n"We're definitely busting at the seams right now," said Lisa \nMorrison, spokeswoman and events coordinator for Middle Way House. "Because we're also serving Greene, Owen, Lawrence and Morgan counties, we have a growing need." \nThe emergency shelter provides a 24-hour crisis line, rape crisis programs and legal and counseling services. It also offers victims clothing, furniture, diapers, formula and other practical needs so they do not have to return to their homes to retrieve personal items after they have fled. \n"These are volatile situations, and it's usually a spur-of-the-moment decision, so many of them don't have any belongings when they come to us," Morrison said. "We even arrange for transportation to pick (them) up. No individual in crisis is turned away." \nIn order to have these services available to victims and to complete the renovations of the new building, Middle Way House will rely on independent donors and fund-raising events. \n"Unfortunately, the government has cut back on a lot of grant money," said Toby Strout, the current Bloomington Middle Way House executive director. "A lot of non profits are struggling right now."\nBloomington Middle Way directors are overcoming financial restraints in several creative ways. \nFood Works, a catering business managed by the nonprofit, was devised in response to the organization's need for inexpensive food services for its many fund-raising events. Not only does Food Works help to provide some of the revenue for the crisis services, but it also\nemploys former recipients of Middle Way House services. \n"As far as I know, this concept is pretty innovative," Morrison said. "I don't know of any other Middle Way Houses trying to manage a business like Food Works."\nWhen New Wings is completed, Food Works will operate on the main level of the former bottling plant. \n"These tile surfaces will work well for Food Works," Brubaker said, pointing out the original wall and column treatments of the factory. \nMorrison said she believes some of the recipes Food Works has created, like its cheddar crackers, are very marketable. She said she hopes other companies, businesses and individuals will hire Food Works to cater their parties and events in the future. \nAnother fund-raising event will take place Saturday at Showers Building. Middle Way will hold its third annual art fair in celebration of Women's History Month. All the items, ranging from silver pieces to glazed pottery, from the 40 participating vendors were crafted by local female artists. \nAlong with large-scale events, Middle Way welcomes even modest donations. As part of the New Wings project, some area businesses will collect money through depositories in the form of decorative birdhouses. \n"We're incredibly excited right now that we were able to step up to the plate and secure this property," Morrison said. "It's the next phase that's going to be the most challenging"