Ministry Description

Southeastern Carolina Crossroads Inc. is a 501, (c), (3), non-profit, Christian faith based, drug and alcohol recovery center being constructed in Southeastern North Carolina. Our intent is to include within our primary coverage area the following North Carolina Counties: Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland, Duplin, Hoke, New Hanover, Pender, Robeson, Sampson, and Wayne. This area includes the cities: Elizabethtown, Fayetteville, Goldsboro, Lumberton, Raeford, Whiteville, and Wilmington and the counties that surround them.

The facility will be constructed in phases with the first phase accommodating up to 20 participants. Separate facilities will be constructed for men and women on the same site. The general arrangement plan will house up to 100 men and 100 women with two people per room in dorm type facilities. All construction and operating costs will come from a combination of grants and donations along with any funds generated from the participant's work on and off site.

The N.C. Department of Health statistics indicate that there are approximately 1.1 million residents in this area of N.C. and that 5% (55,000) of these residents are struggling with drugs or alcohol addiction and associated mental disorders. Available treatment facilities for people without insurance or means to pay for treatment are very limited, with some having a six to eighteen-month waiting list. The number of calls that pastors with substance abuse counseling training are receiving confirms these numbers.

This will be a volunteer program with the applicants themselves requesting admittance. They must be a minimum of 18 years old and be drug and alcohol free for at least 72 hours prior to admission.

We propose to offer two types of programs:

1. A 12-week Intensive program: Participants will go through a 12-week program that is Christ centered and faith based. This program is similar to Hebron Colony in Boone N.C. and Raleigh Rescue Mission. Hebron has a 40% success rate. As part of the program, each participant will be expected to work 4-6 hours per day in on-site endeavors such as greenhouses for plants, tilapia farming, etc. to help defray costs associated with his or her stay at SCCI.
2. A long-term program: Lasting up to two years, this program is similar to the program at Damascus Home, Creedmoor, NC. Each participant would be required to:
   1. Obtain and hold a full time job,
   2. Participate in daily Bible studies,
   3. Care for their own room, linens, clothing, and cleaning,
   4. Actively participate in an approved church of their choice,
   5. Participate in approved community service programs,
   6. Remain free from drug and alcohol use, and
   7. Pay a modest fee to offset the cost of room and board.

In addition to the above, skills training and workforce training will be offered to all participants as appropriate through partnership with local businesses, agencies, and community colleges.

The primary focus of the recovery center is to return clients to a productive lifestyle. The cost for each participant to complete the 12-week recovery training is projected at $4,000. Assuming a 40% success rate, this would be a $10,000 investment per successful participant. With the area's average salary at $20,000 per year, the community would need only six months to recover the investment for that participant. In addition, that participant will have transitioned from being a burden upon society into being a contributor to society.

The fee required as part of each long-term participant's program is expected to offset most of the cost for that long-term participant.

An approximately seventy-five-acre tract of land located at 6092 Airport Road, Elizabethtown, NC was purchased from Mr. Robert H. Jessup, Jr., on September 19, 2008, at a cost of $164,492.17. The deed in trust for this tract was paid in full on September 3, 2009. This property is an ideal location for SCCI, as the facility is outside of a populated area and has access to county water.

Groundbreaking for the first facility was held May 2, 2009. However, the actual construction start is dependent upon fund raising success. Attached is the preliminary plan for the first building.

The facility is expected to employ up to 30 full-time employees when completed. The annual operating cost, including payroll, will be approximately $2,500,000. Not only will these dollars be spent in helping those in need, they will be spent in economically depressed Southeastern North Carolina.

At this time, funds are needed to hire a grant writer, to make an engineering assessment of the site, to develop a preliminary master plan of the facility, and to begin construction of the first phase. The expected total cost for the facility, excluding, water, and sewer facilities is 4.5 million dollars.

Thank you for your interest in this ministry. Please feel free to call on any of our Board members for additional information.