NORTHAMPTON — A local nonprofit that helps people struggling with addiction is set to move into the former La Fiorentina pastry shop on Armory Street.
“We anticipate being able to move in in May,” said Lynn Ferro, director of the Northampton Recovery Center.
She said the nonprofit has signed a lease to occupy the former bakery, which will require extensive renovation. The recovery center has accepted a bid for the work, which will begin as soon as all permits are obtained, Ferro said.
La Fiorentina, which opened in Northampton in 1991, closed last summer.
“Community and connection are key antidotes to addiction,” Ferro said.
The organization is mostly run by volunteers and uses a peer participatory process. This means that those who use and are most affected by the programming have a primary role in how programming at the rehab center is developed and participate in the organization on every level.
“We are not a top-down agency,” she said.
