The Adult & Teen Challenge of Billings, Montana has made a full recovery following flooding from June of 2023; the organization is now looking to expand its service.
“The flooding completely flooded out the bottom half of one of our houses," said Ryne Strouth, the program coordinator, "we had to go back in, we had to completely tear out everything that had been previously done over the last year.”
Strouth is a former graduate from the year long program.
“I was homeless, living out of my truck, strung out on heroin," said Strouth, "There’s nothing that we ask you or tell you to do that we haven’t done it ourselves.”
There is little difference, according to staff and students, between the physical act of repairing the formerly flooded location and the metaphysical introspection behind addiction recovery.
The damage repair was made possible by the work of those in addiction recovery, funds from the Gianforte Foundation, donated labor from local companies, and a donated heating ventilation and air conditioning system.
“As long as you still have breath in your lungs, as long as your pulse is still beating, there’s still hope for you … there are people out there that – they want to help," said Strouth.
