TEEN CHALLENGE HOSTS STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL

Mid-America Teen Challenge, a rehabilitation center for men, will hold its annual Strawberry Festival May 16. The center is situated 5 miles north of Cape Girardeau on County Road 621.

The Strawberry Festival is an open house for the center, said Beverly Breithaupt, administrative assistant. The public is invited to tour the grounds, enjoy free strawberry shortcake, and talk to some of the students in the program.

"It gives people the opportunity to come and see the center first-hand," said Breithaupt. "Many times we have people who donate to the center but they don't have a chance to see what we do here."

Teen Challenge, a Christ-centered rehabilitation program, depends on donations from churches, individuals and groups for support. There are 106 men at the center, and fees are charged only if the student can afford it. The students comes from across the United States.

"We deal with young men who have experienced life-controlling problems, like drug dependence, alcoholism or trouble with the law," Breithaupt said. "It's a voluntary program. If they decide they don't like it they are free to leave."

But most students, ranging in age from 17 to 50, complete the program. Classes are held in the mornings, and afternoons are spent mowing lawns, picking apples or strawberries, or woodworking, depending on the time of year. Money from these activities goes to help support the center.

The program lasts 10 months, after which most students find a job or continue their education, Breithaupt said. Some stay on to work as junior staff members. The average age of students is 23, she said.

The Strawberry Festival will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Events include guided tours, puppet shows for children, mini-concerts and drawings for free quarts of strawberries. A lunch will be available for purchase with a free helping of strawberry shortcake. Craft items and baked goods also will be sold.

Breithaupt said the center, like most schools and non-profit rehabilitation programs, faces financial difficulties continually.

"It's an ongoing problem," she said, "one that we have to work at regularly."