TEEN CHALLENGE MARKS MORE SUCCESS STORIES

Just to the north of Cape Girardeau, a pretty amazing program operates quietly and effectively. The Mid-America Teen Challenge is in the business of saving lives by rescuing lost souls from alcoholism and drug abuse.

It is one of 120 such centers nationwide and 250 worldwide. Through a 10-month program of hard work and faith, Teen Challenge has achieved a very high cure rate -- more than 70 percent -- for its graduates.

Thanksgiving Day provided an appropriate time to give thanks for new lives at the Cape Girardeau Teen Challenge facility. A number of alumni returned to the local center to celebrate lives without drug or alcohol dependence. Their stories were moving and provided hope to those who haven't yet made that first step.

The local center has been in operation for 29 years. At any one time, it serves about 100 men who range in age from 18 to over 40. Many voluntarily enroll in the center. Between 30 and 40 percent of the enrollees are placed through the courts as a condition of probation.

They live at the center and give service to the program and the community.

In the summer and fall months, Teen Challenge students can be found hard at work in the yard-mowing and leaf-raking program. They tend strawberries. They visit schools and talk about the dangers of drugs.

Teen Challenge instills the importance of a lifestyle free of drugs and alcohol, gainful employment, education and church attendance.

Several studies have examined the extraordinary success rate of the program, which is considerably higher than most other drug and alcohol programs. A report by the University of Tennessee examined graduates from the Teen Challenge of Chattanooga five years ago and found most remained drug-free, pursued their education, kept a full-time job, stayed out of the legal system and attended church regularly. In short, their lives had truly changed.

Perhaps it is time that the government take a closer look at programs such as Teen Challenge and the remarkable success rate.

At Mid-America Teen Challenge, God is miraculously restoring lives lost to alcohol and drug abuse. And the touching tales of alumni shared on Thanksgiving Day put a face to Teen Challenge's amazing success story.