yesterday blessed in a ceremony that brought the church, politicians and the community together.

Newly-renovated Stone Hall, next to St. Paul's AME Church on Victoria Street, was the "first actionable response to the Archibald Report'', president of Fair Havens Ms Pat Lynn told those gathered at the dedication ceremony.

And, she said, thanks to Government and the Christian community the two-storey facility would open in a couple of months.

Government paid up to $250,000 for renovations to the building which is owned by St. Paul's AME Church.

But with an expected operating budget of $250,000 to $300,000 a year, Ms Lynn said any financial support from the public and private sectors will be greatly appreciated.

In fact, she said, financial support could speed up the centre's opening.

The centre will be able to house up 12 women for about a year.

It will have three full-time staff, including a highly qualified executive director responsible for overall management, a senior chemical dependency counsellor, and a counsellor in training.

Women will be able to live at the centre for about a year.

They will be required to remain in the centre for the first three months after which they will be allowed to spend their days involved in outside education programmes or at work.

Noting that the idea for the centre sprouted from a 1985 Bible Conference, Ms Lynn said Christian values, such as love, patience, and forgiveness, will be the core of the centre's philosophy.

"It will be a healing, caring, loving environment that will nurture women back to health.'' And she said: "We will ask and continue to ask for your support.

"When we ask for your support, we're not only asking you to make an investment in Fair Havens, we're really asking you to invest in your future.

"Every woman we help will mean that one more family is saved, one less child will suffer, there will be one less crime to fight, and one more caring citizen to carry on the fight to help us save other lives.'' The decision to develop a women-only drug rehabilitation centre was a result of too little space available for a more ambitious co-ed project.

HIGH PRAISES FOR FAIR HAVENS -- Visiting AME Presiding Bishop the Rt. Rev.

Philip R. Cousin Sr., yesterday praised Government, churches, and the community for putting "the value of life above their own agenda''.