Alcoholism and drug addiction ruin many lives every year.
The administrators and staff at Catholic Charities' Omaha Campus for Hope deal with this sad reality every day.
As the largest provider of accredited substance abuse treatment services for the poor in Nebraska, the Campus for Hope has been helping indigent alcoholics and drug addicts discover the hope that comes with recovery since 1998.
Located at 1490 N. 16th St., the Campus for Hope offers short-term and long-term residential care as well as detoxification and emergency protection. A dedicated staff helps clients rebuild their lives that have been devastated by the abuse of alcohol and/or drugs.
Counselors will tell you that alcoholism or drug addiction is more than a choice ... it's a disease. And the disease has no respect for a person's socio-economic status, educational level or age.
In an effort to serve people of all income levels, ground was broken this week for an addition to the Campus for Hope. The additional space will allow Catholic Charities to serve not just the poor, but all people in need of treatment for alcoholism and/or drug abuse.
A special thank you goes to Bob Soener, the first donor to contribute to the $1.2 million project. "I'm very, very happy that this day has arrived after five years," said Soener, a former member of the Catholic Charities Board of Directors. "It will be a real asset to the Omaha community and those people that are having problems with alcoholism or drugs."
Mike Phillips, director of the Campus for Hope, is thankful for the generosity of Soener and the other private donors who made the addition a reality.
"People recognize that this is very important," he said, adding that the additional space and beds will allow the Campus for Hope to serve people who need "services here regardless of their resources."
Breaking ground this month was timely because September 2009 is the 20th anniversary of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. The annual observance gives recovering alcoholics and drug addicts an opportunity to share their stories of recovery.
And you can be sure there are many success stories coming out of the Campus for Hope, where clients are told: "Never lose hope."
