Teen Challenge raising money for buildings

~ The Christian-based organization hopes to raise $1.8 million for three buildings by June.

Over the summer, Teen Challenge's cramped-quarters problem came to a head: The faith-based organization actually had to refuse to take young men who were looking to beat their self-destructive demons of drugs and alcohol.

"We don't like to do that," said executive director Jack Smart. "It was tough. I don't remember the last time we've had to do that. But we were putting guys wherever we could find them. We were just out of room."

They had crammed six bunk beds into a lobby of one of the buildings on the 316-acre campus on County Road 621. They were squeezing two extra men into four-man rooms. They were putting the men almost anywhere they could find space.

That's when Teen Challenge International of Mid-America of Cape Girardeau decided it had to do something. Feasibility studies and extensive meetings will culminate on Wednesday with the announcement of a $1.8-million capital campaign. The campaign will be launched Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. at the Cape Girardeau Country Club.

Leaders at Teen Challenge want to use the funds to build three new structures, including a 7,200-square-foot addition to the dormitory that will house up to 72 additional men. Organizers are also planning a new activity center and an academic and learning center.

Currently, Teen Challenge is holding just three short of its 138 capacity, Smart said. But over the summer, the facility housed as many as 154. A staffing shortage complicated matters, so Teen Challenge felt they couldn't adequately handle extra students, Smart said.

That meant that men who were waiting to come here from a four-month induction at another Teen Challenge facility in Cleveland may have had to wait before they start the 10-month treatment program here, Smart said. That could have meant that drug addicts and alcoholics on the street may have been denied a spot, he said.

"You never want to do that if you can help it," he said.

Smart expects the numbers of men wanting to defeat drugs and alcohol will continue to climb. Smart said an estimated 1 million to 1 1/2 million addicts would like to get help, but are unable to do so because they don't know how or they have already given up.

Smart estimates that if the capital campaign is met, the local Teen Challenge would be able to accept 800 to 1,000 more students over the next 10 years.

The funds from the capital campaign will also pay to build a 7,800-square-foot learning center to replace the existing center, which "has seen better days" and was also tight on space, said campaign chairman Cliff Ford, who has been on the Teen Challenge board for six years. Students at the learning center can work toward their GED as well as receive Bible-related classroom lessons.

Ford, who is an owner of Ford & Sons Funeral Home, said the funds would also build a new 7,200-square-foot activity center, something the local Teen Challenge has never had. The activity center would include a high-school size gym, a weight room and an area for special events.

"These are young men with a lot of energy who could build good camaraderie through sports," Ford said. "They need physical activity."

Initial estimates place the cost of the academic and learning center at $510,000; the dormitory addition at $440,000 and the activity center at $468,000, Smart said. The additional money would be used for architectural fees and fund-raising costs, he said.

Teen Challenge -- which started in 1958 in Brooklyn, N.Y. and has branched out to more than 300 programs worldwide -- hopes to raise the money by finding people in the community who are concerned about the needs of people addicted to drugs and alcohol, Smart said.

He hopes the money is raised by June. First, the academic center would be built, he said, and then the dormitory addition. They're doing it that way, he said, because they need more room to teach before they have more room for more people. The activity center would be the final phase.

Teen Challenge board chairman David Crader said he hopes people realize what Teen Challenge has meant to the community.

"I've seen individuals graduate from the program and go on to become solid community citizens and become quite successful," said Crader, also president and CEO of Bank of Missouri. "All they need is a second chance."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137