Teen Challenge drop boxes fund lives changed

RUSTON, La. (KTVE / KARD)–Have you ever wondered where your clothes donations go when you drop them off at a Teen Challenge drop box? NBC 10’s Joel Massey has the story about a ministry funded by your generosity.

The clothes that you donate to a Teen Challenge drop box goes to fund ministry centers around the state that are helping people get clean who are struggling with substance abuse.

Gary Bentley is the chief operating officer with Louisiana Adult and Teen Challenge and he tells me what his ministry is all about.

“We’re a faith based organization to help anyone struggling with life controlling issues such as substance abuse we’re a long term program that offers short term options as well we have a very high success rate.”

Many years ago Bentley was struggling with his own addiction and he was changed through the program.

“Just seeing a life changed that was literally hopeless is one of the greatest rewards in life. I was one that struggled with addiction as well. Came through the program 26 years ago and just to see people follow along in that path who people had given up on and they had given up on themselves is just a huge reward.”

And when you give to a Teen Challenge drop box you are funding the ministry that is helping to change lives.

“One of the beauties of our program is that we don’t charge a tuition for someone to come to us for help and we’re able to do that by having several micro enterprises. One of those is drop boxes we have about 400 across the state and when you put your clothing that you are cleaning out your closet with you put those and small miscellaneous items in there we turn that into money to help fund our program.”

Bentley says seeing the lives change is very rewarding.

“From day one their family doesn’t trust them their spouse doesn’t trust them and to see over the course of time them get spiritually whole physically whole. Family members want to talk to them again and they trust them again. Just to see that whole restoration process is huge.” In all Teen Challenge has eight campuses across the state that are funded by the drop boxes.