Columbus City Council last Monday awarded more money to the beleaguered Franklinton “harm reduction” drop-in center Sanctuary Night yet gave nothing to 1DivineLine2Health, the original and competent West Side drop-in center started by Esther Flores.
Flores, a registered nurse, is a Columbus pioneer. She was the first to open a drop-in center – a much-needed safe house – for the addicted “street sisters” of Franklinton, the Hilltop and the rest of the West Side, for that matter. She took it upon herself in 2015 to create what amounts to a brave and gutsy grassroots movement, risking everything to take care of thousands of sex-trafficked and homeless women and their children. Flores, a Catholic, has earned the nickname “The Saint of Sullivant Avenue” from the Free Press and was the news org’s Libby Award winner for 2021.
Indeed, Flores’ movement picked up traction during the pandemic. She helped over 3,000 women in 2020 and most of Central Ohio took notice. More funding came her way, and she opened a drop-in center in Linden. She also began offering more services to the children of these “street sisters.”…