Building Hope

With the addition of the Rose House for women’s recovery, Christian Recovery Centers, Inc. will help even more people who are struggling with addiction.

People suffering from addiction often feel defeated and hopeless. “I felt like I had hit rock bottom,” Karli Wagner says. “I was homeless and I knew I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life using drugs. Coming to Christian Recovery Centers gave me hope.”

Postpartum depression and mental health issues throughout her childhood led Wagner to drug abuse. She came to the center for help in 2020. “It took me four months to give up drugs,” she says. “I spent a lot of time thinking about my son and knew
I had to do this in order to have a future with him.”

Christian Recovery Centers, Inc. (CRCI) operates the Brunswick Christian Recovery Center and the soon-to-open Rose House, a recovery center for women. Their mission is to provide the spiritual and educational tools necessary for a long-term recovery from the illness of addiction and the beginning of a successful life.

Joshua Torbich, executive director of CRCI, walked through the doors as an addict in 2013. He knows first-hand how important it is to have access to resources and support when you are struggling with addiction. He has helped to shape and grow the programs currently offered.

“When I entered the program, there was a retired Baptist pastor who ran the facility,” Torbich says. “I completed the
program and ended up staying to help. I told myself I’d stay for a year, but I knew I was gaining so much headway in believing there was a new future for me.”

In 2015 the program started to gain momentum and became a certified substance abuse program. And there was a clear need to expand services. “Until late in 2019, CRCI only offered services for men, yet women had continuously showed up on our waiting list and were requesting access to the program,” Torbich says. “So, I started looking for a place to open a center for female services.”

Rose House, a large home previously used as a bed-and-breakfast in Brunswick County, was acquired and is being transformed into a new 28-bed residential facility for women struggling with addiction.

“We are all very excited about the opening of the Rose House, one of the most beautiful gifts we could give our community,” Torbich says. “We provide everything at no cost to residents or their families. We have never charged a penny for services.”
Funding comes from a variety of sources. Businesses and churches make donations, and CRCI also receives grant from community and state foundations.

“Much of the furniture being used to furnish the Rose House was donated by the community,” says Kristin Gettlemen, engagement manager with CRCI. “We are also selling bricks that will be used to create the outdoor patio at the Rose House. Contributors will have their name placed on a brick, and all of the proceeds will go toward supporting programs at the center.”
After residents complete the faith-based 12-Step program and participate in professional therapy sessions, they are introduced to work opportunities through a Leadership Development Initiative.

Through this program, Wagner developed the skills needed to become part of the staff at CRCI. She has been hired to be the resident manager at the Rose House, which is slated to open in late fall of 2022. “They invested a lot of time in me and they knew I could be a leader,” Wagner says. “Now I’ll be an advocate for other residents and can pour what I’ve learned back into them.”

The success for residents is measured day by day.

“Residents of the program don’t have a graduation date, they are in a process,” Torbich says. “If they think every single day that they are a percentage better than yesterday, they are being successful. They are living a life that can multiply.”

Christian Recovery Centers, Inc. has grown significantly. Two years ago, they had only three employees. Now, they have 17 full-time and three part-time employees. When asked what he would say to a family that has lost hope and is struggling to find help with addiction, Torbich has an answer at the ready.

“A new life isn’t as far out of reach as you might suspect,” he says. “There is always somebody right around the corner to lock arms with who is willing to help you succeed and overcome addiction.” To that Wagner adds, “I want others to think ‘I can do it too!’ and be inspired and hopeful for a better future.”

Need help fighting an addiction?
Contact Christian Recovery Centers, Inc. at (910) 287-4357
Want to make a donation or buy a fundraising brick at Rose House?
Contact: Kristin Gettlemen at (910) 890-9459
For more information visit crcirecover.org