Steinbach may soon be home to a new Adult and Teen Challenge outreach office.

Daniel Emond is the interim executive director of Adult and Teen Challenge Central Canada. He made a presentation to Steinbach City Council at a committee meeting Tuesday evening and outlined the need for an office in the city.

"We have the vision to open and launch a community office that provides support for families that are dealing with addiction and also that provides support for graduates and after-care for students that go through our long-term programs in other areas," Emond says. "We want to provide a place here locally for local families and it will be locally run."

Merle Plett joined Emond as an advocate of the project. She says she is from the Southeast and her son is a graduate of the ATC program.

"My husband Kyle and I are involved in connecting with ministries, connecting with churches and connecting within the community to make them aware of Adult and Teen Challenge," Plett says. She says they now inform ministries on "how they can partner up, how they can seek help, help facilitate groups so that people can receive hope and encouragement and motivation to seek the help that they need."

Emond says the need for such an office is demonstrated by people like Plett. He says there are many in the Southeast that are struggling with addiction and they want to put hope within reach of every family. He adds to make this dream a reality they still need to get a few things together in the community.

"Number one is prayer. Always there is a need for funding. Our organization has the position that we should have the funding in place before we move forward with any kind of solid movement so we are asking for monthly partners that commit to funding the outreach office. The other thing is that we are looking for the right place in Steinbach where we can start."

Emond says they are looking to have at least $50,000 in place before moving forward with the project. He says they have already raised $30,000 which is very encouraging and they are hoping to have an office open in 2021.

Steinbach Mayor Earl Funk says he was happy to hear that Adult and Teen Challenge had done their research and touched base with local organizations that already exist in the community to make sure they were not doubling up services.

Funk says he is convinced Steinbach has a need for this type of office and is encouraged to hear about Adult and Teen Challenge’s plans for the future.

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Written by Kenton Dyck

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