Todd Rothenberger says his life was a mess. He was a drug abuser and overdosed. He was attacked and left for dead. He committed 14 felonies in 13 months. And he thought he’d be using drugs for the rest of his life. But that downward spiral changed when Mr. Rothenberger entered a 14-month rehabilitation program […]
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Todd Rothenberger says his life was a mess.He was a drug abuser and overdosed. He was attacked and left for dead. He committed 14 felonies in 13 months. And he thought he’d be using drugs for the rest of his life.But that downward spiral changed when Mr. Rothenberger entered a 14-month rehabilitation program conducted by the Quad Cities nonprofit group One Eighty. (That organization offers numerous programs and services to help the community and people facing tough times.)“Being at One Eighty changed my life dramatically,” he said during a community gathering in late 2022 to showcase the group. “If you really want to change, this is the place to do it.”Mr. Rothenberger credits One Eighty for spurring his comeback story. He graduated from the program in August. Today, as a staff member — he is the men’s home assistant supervisor — he helps other people who are facing tough times and want to change.In fact, 2022 was a year of change for One Eighty.In March, the group’s founder and executive director Rusty Boruff resigned after 14 years with the organization. (In his letter of resignation posted on Facebook, Mr. Boruff stated that he had a stroke in August of 2021 and wanted time to recover and spend time with his family. “My focus is rejuvenating and loving my beautiful wife and kids. … Today, I am tired and I need a break,” he wrote.)Jenny Halupnik, director of engagement for One Eighty, talks to a crowd at the “Unpack the Comeback” meeting in Davenport in November. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON“We miss him, but he still pops in to help,” Jenny Halupnik, director of engagement for One Eighty, said during a recent interview with the QCBJ at the group’s main offices in a former church building at 601 N. Marquette St., Davenport.Since Mr. Boruff’s departure, there have been some changes inside the organization. Perhaps the main one has been the leadership. It has gone from one person in charge — Mr. Boruff — to a three-person leadership structure because the job is “too much of a job for one person,” she added.Those three leaders are: Ms. Halupnik; Dakotah Smith, director of operations; and Carmen Fish, director of finance.And there are changes on the horizon. For instance, One Eighty has taken over another former church building at 306 Cedar St., Davenport, and renamed it the Hope Center. That center will have programs that will focus on supporting area youth — giving them a safe community center for summer and after-school activities.But much of the group’s work has not changed. It has remained focused on helping people in need and helping people write their own “comeback stories.” That was the focus of a November gathering at One Eighty — called “Unpack the Comeback.” That meeting brought together more than 100 community, church and business leaders to showcase the programs headed up by the group. One Eighty’s many programs come in three categories:
“Prevent” — To prevent crisis, poverty and addiction before it happens. These include school-based programs.
“Reach” — To reach out to those in crisis, poverty and addiction, with services such as food pantries and community programs.
“Develop” — To develop those who were in crisis, poverty and addiction.
During the gathering, Ms. Halupnik told the crowd how the organization recently got two beds for two young children who had been sleeping on a piece of plywood. “They cried. They had never had a bed before,” she added.But much of the “Unpack the Comeback” gathering focused on a program in the “Develop” area — the 14-month residential program to help people facing addictions and other problems get back on their feet. (The program can take longer than 14 months to complete. Graduation depends on how individuals progress through the various stages of the program, according to information from One Eighty.)“These are comebacks from addictions, a life of crime, broken relationships. After years and years of drug use, people are hitting their rock bottom, finding help and healing here at One Eighty and making a comeback that sticks,” Ms. Halupnik said to the crowd.The residential program — it currently has about 60 people in it and another 36 or so on a waiting list — is intense and the “last hope” for many of those people, she added.Ms. Halupnik told the QCBJ that the people in the program come from many situations and walks of life. For instance, about 25% of the people in the program have been ordered by the court to the program. That is, they have been told to complete the program or go to jail.The other 75% come for a variety of reasons. Some come from other rehab programs that did not work for them; some come straight out of jail with drug addictions and want to get sober; some are homeless and do not have a drug problem but they want to get their lives on track.Whatever their backgrounds, the people in the program face the same intense work with some long hours in a very structured program. Those hours often begin with a 6 a.m. Bible study followed by going to a series of classes, working on goals with a mentor and staff, and working various jobs through One Eighty’s Enterprise program businesses. It runs businesses that offer services such as landscaping, lawn care, snow removal, commercial cleaning, and light remodeling.The program requires 25 hours of classes and 30 hours of job training for residents every week. At one of those classes in late November held on the One Eighty campus in Davenport, about 25 men gathered for a Bible study. The class, led by One Eighty resident Shane Wheeler, featured men reading Bible passages. After several passages, he would stop the readings and ask the residents to tell the group how a certain passage related to their situations or could help in their journey to complete the program.Ian Hauschild looks over his Bible during One Eighty’s Bible study class at its Davenport location. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSONUpon successful completion, the residents can move into affordable housing owned by One Eighty.“This is affordable, safe, clean, sober housing that is near the campus (within walking distance) to allow them to stay connected. We know that addiction is a lifelong battle for most and staying connected is so important,” according to the One Eighty website.One Eighty renovates old, abandoned houses and turns them into homes. “Families pay an affordable rent and within a certain amount of years will have the ability to own a home debt free. It also beautifies neighborhoods and gives kids a stable environment setting them up to succeed,” the group’s website adds.Ms. Halupnik said she is proud of the residential program and its success rate. About 60% of those who start the program will graduate. Many of them stay at One Eighty and become staff members to help other people.Several of those success stories — or comeback stories — were highlighted at the Unpack the Comeback meeting. For instance, Nicole Worrick came to One Eighty after going to seven other treatment facilities that did not work for her. One Eighty worked for her “because it came with God and that’s what I needed,” she added.Today, she is the women’s home supervisor at the organization.Also, Rhiannon Bell, of Eldridge, told the crowd that she overcame an addiction with the help of the program. “I was a mess. I had nothing to offer,” she said. Today, she is employed and on the verge of buying a home in Davenport.But not all the stories are success stories.“This journey is a lot of two steps forward and one step backwards,” Ms. Halupnik said. “Sometimes, people will come here for two weeks and say that it’s too hard.”In some ways, she added, last year was a tough year. Some people who were in the 14-month program have gone back to unhealthy habits and have not survived. “We have buried more friends this year than ever before,” she said.But it’s the hope — and hard work — of creating comeback stories to help individuals and the community that makes the job rewarding, Ms. Halupnik added.“Thank you for being people who want to write the next comeback story,” she told the crowd at the “Unpack the Comeback” gathering.
At a Glance: One Eighty
History: One Eighty began out of the testimony of Rusty Boruff, the founder. He spent many years as a homeless addict who eventually found himself sitting in a jail cell. He spent a year of his life behind bars and said he met Jesus there. He began dreaming about creating an organization to help other people in his position. A few years later, he and a few friends bought a trailer for $500 and began what now is known as One Eighty.Mission: The group looks to prevent crisis, poverty and addiction before it happens. It reaches out to people and helps people build a relationship with Jesus Christ, and assists local churches and organizations to connect with their communities.Programs:One Eighty has programs in three categories: Prevent — To prevent crisis, poverty and addiction before it happens including with school-based programs; Reach — To reach out to those in crisis, poverty and addiction, with food pantries and other community programs; and Develop — To develop those who were in crisis, poverty and addiction. This includes a 14-month residential program and housing.Residential program: The program has about 60 residents and has about 36 people on the waiting list. It has a graduation rate of about 60% and costs about $11,000 to send each person through the program.Work program:Residents at One Eighty are trained and work for One Eighty Enterprise businesses about 30 hours a week. All Enterprise businesses are started and run by graduates of the program. The profit goes directly back into One Eighty to help offset costs of running the ministry. The businesses are available for hire by the general public to do work such as landscaping, lawn care, snow removal, commercial cleaning, and light remodeling. They also make handcrafted caramels as part of the Inspired Creations business. Funding: 50% of funding to help One Eighty comes from donations from individuals and businesses. Other funding sources include: grants — but no federal or state money; revenues from its Enterprise job program; events; and housing rents.Buildings: One Eighty has 24 buildings in the community. They are used for its various programs and housing. Its main offices are located in a former church building at 601 N. Marquette St., Davenport.Staff:About 30.Contact One Eighty: oneeighty.org or (563) 424-4589.
