Pell City — After months of prayer and preparation, a planned drug treatment facility in rural St. Clair County is inching closer to opening its doors by securing a location for the facility.

Aaron's Hope Ministry, a faith-based chemical dependency treatment facility for men, is scheduled to close on a property near Ragland on Sept. 10. The location could accommodate up to 20 patients, and provides an ideal rural setting for the facility at an ideal price.

“The house just kind of fell upon us,” said Donna Kitchens, executive director of Aaron's Hope Ministry. “We were able to purchase the house for $67,200, and in 2008, that house sold for $220,000. That just shows that God is involved in this.”

While the property has been chosen, the work is far from over. According to Kitchens, approximately one-fourth of the funds necessary to close on the home have been raised. Additionally, the home will need minor repairs and furnishings before playing host to up to 20 men undergoing drug and alcohol treatment.  

“We are totally non-profit, and we're depending upon the donations and the contributions of the community to help support us, financially and prayerfully,” Kitchens said.

The inspiration to open Aaron's Hope came after 44-year-old Aaron Manning of Coal City took his own life earlier this year, ending a longtime battle with drug addiction.

“When Aaron died, I just prayed and said, 'Lord, I want to do something to help. This should have never happened, and I'm not going to let the devil win. What do you want me to do?” Kitchens said. “That's when he put it on my heart, I just knew I was supposed to be involved in opening up this place.”

The result was a faith-based treatment facility which would cater to men on many levels of needs, from counseling to job placement.

By providing a model of treatment currently unavailable for men in St. Clair County, Kitchens hopes the program will serve the county well and mend families torn apart by drug use.

“We hope they'll regain their families, they'll have job placements, and they'll be able to walk free from the lifestyle of drugs and be successful, productive members of society,” she said.

For more information about Aaron's Hope Ministry, call 338-7114 or e-mail: aaronshope@coosahs.net