ROANOKE, Va. – A mental health organization created after a Roanoke restaurant owner’s suicide is preparing to turn the restaurant space into a safe space.
Tudor House plans to transform the former Tudor’s Biscuit World in downtown Roanoke into a mental health and suicide prevention counseling center. Executive director Kathleen Thorell said construction will start next month, with the goal of opening the Tudor House this summer.
The organization was formed in honor of Louis Tudor, who died by suicide in July.
Several fundraisers have helped Tudor House take shape, including an auction with Texas Tavern that raised more than $5,000 for the organization.
Thorell envisions the brick-and-mortar Tudor House as a place for people to open up about their mental health.
“Part of the drawback for mental health services is that it’s not easily accessible," Thorell said. "We would love to have something where it’s welcoming, where someone could just walk in and say, ‘Something’s not right and I need help.’”
Tudor House has scheduled several virtual mental health education events throughout the rest of the year.