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.)
“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.