Where there is opportunity, there is hope.

Mary Poe and her husband took advantage of an opportunity. Now, there is the House of Hope.

Poe, the featured speaker at the Wednesday meeting of the Troy Exchange Club, told the club members that, when opportunity presented itself, she and her husband, Bobby, were more than willing to take advantage of it.

The vacant house on the corner of South Main and Lee streets in Brundidge caught Poe’s eye and she knew almost immediately that it was a house where hope could abide.

The couple purchased the house and is in the process of renovating it as a women’s Adult /Teen Challenge facility.

Poe told the Exchange Club members that Adult/Teen Challenge is an addiction recovery program that has the highest success rate of any addiction recovery program.

“Eighty-two percent of those who successfully complete the program remain free of their addictions after five years,” Poe said.

The House of Hope is a facility for up to 10 women who have alcohol and drug additions. There are two aspects of the Brundidge facility.

“One aspect is crisis situations,” Poe said. “When a person needs immediate attention, she can be evaluated at the House of Hope and recommended for one of three Adult/Teen Challenge recovery facilities in the state. The time that she spends at the House of Hope will be limited.

“The other aspect is that women, who have successfully completed the Adult/Teen Challenge recovery program at another facility but are not ready transition into the community, will come to House of Hope.”

From there, these women will transition into the community.

“They will go to church in the community and, hopefully, find employment,” Poe said. “The length of time they will spend at the House of Hope will depend on how long it takes them to make that transition — for them to put their lives back together after struggling with addictions.”

Tracy Schenck, who is a Teen Challenge graduate, will be the director of House of Hope.

“Tracy is already a part of the community,” Poe said. “She attends The Vine church in Troy. She has been successfully completed Teen Challenge and is the one to successfully direct House of Hope.”

Poe said, if all goes as planned, House of Hope will open in July.

“We still have a lot of work to do and there are needs to be met,” she said.

Two air conditioning units are needed, as are furniture and household items.

“Volunteer labor would be greatly appreciated,” Poe said, with a smile.

Monetary donations may be made to House of Hope at Troy Bank & Trust locations. Checks should be made to Tennille United Methodist Church, Adult/Teen Challenge, Brundidge.