Alexander Resource Center opens

Will help overcome substance use and trauma by combining medication, education, peer support, and more

By MICAH HENRY

A local agency, which assists people affected by substance use, trauma, and life transitions, now has its own facility in which to operate. Alexander Resource Center (ARC) officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, July 15, in the former BB&T Bank building at 21 Main Avenue Drive, at the East Main Avenue intersection.

ARC provides trauma-informed peer support, individualized resource navigation, and pathways to long term healing, according to their Facebook page. Through lived experience, compassionate guidance, and community collaboration we help people reclaim their lives, build resilience and sustain meaningful recovery.

By partnering with community members, ARC is able to offer:
• Employment assistance
• Re-entry and community reintegration
• Early intervention
• Harm reduction
• Day services
• Trauma intervention
• Medical/substance abuse care
• Mental health care, and
• Men’s transitional housing.

During the event, several ARC officials and partner agency personnel spoke.

Shannon Childers, Post Overdose Response Team Coordinator for Alexander County EMS, served as emcee and welcomed the crowd to the event.

He recognized WGV Construction, landlord Tim McCullen, Vaya Health, RHA, Dr. Jonathan Goodnight, Tara Locke, NP, Peer Support Coordinator Erin Burke, Laura Watts Whitley, Robbie Medina of The Rustic Roast, NC Probation Officers, Alexander County Court officials, Kenneth Fox and The Cognitive Connection, Town Manager Nathan Hester, Mayor George Holleman, and Town Council members, Alexander County Sheriff Chad Pennell and his officers, Taylorsville Police Department Chief Mike Millsaps and his officers, Alexander County Commissioners, County Manager Justin Mundy, Dr. Lori Mason and the Recalibrate team, ARC volunteers, and ARC Board members Bob Templeton (chair), Iva Moree (vice chair), Allison Clay, Adam Jolly, Lori Mason, Bre Williams, Tara Locke, Erin Burke, and Brandy Childers.

Rev. Kevin White, pastor of East Taylorsville Baptist Church, read a passage from Psalm 40 and offered an invocation.

First to speak was Larry Hill, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Vaya Health. “Getting things done requires resources. We’re so fortunate and happy to be a partner and collaborator on this new center. Vaya was able to contribute greatly — about $350,000 — toward this, to get the center to where it is today,” he noted.

Iva Moree, mother of Peer Support Coordinator Erin Burke, spoke next. Moree said that her daughter asked her to be on the ARC Board. Moree agreed and said she was only “a retired, washed up educator,” but did bring the experience of having addiction affect her family.

“Through lots and lots of prayers, God brought my daughter back. I have the experience of seeing what is so needed — there are so many families who are affected by this,” Moree said. “At times, as we sat around the table, I thought it was a pipe dream. I was thinking, ‘Maybe. Maybe we can get something started.’ Then, all of a sudden, it became, ‘This is going to be something big.’ I said that in one of the board meetings… It was going to be God big. There was a lot of hard work, tears, and prayer, prayer, prayer… God has blessed this program. It has brought families together. This process has had God written all over it from the beginning.”

“For this to continue, we desire your prayers. We also will take donations. We hope to have the community involved in the upkeep, as this program continues to grow,” Moree added. “It helps us assist the population that we can’t continue to ignore. As followers of Christ, I think it’s our duty. We are called to serve. To me, it’s my own little form of worship, to give back.”

County Manager Justin Mundy expressed that “one of the most rewarding parts of my job is seeing the community come together to solve problems. We know that substance use disorder has affected countless families throughout Alexander County. It doesn’t discriminate. It affects people from every background, every neighborhood, every walk of life. That’s why today is so important.”

“Alexander Rescource Center represents hope. It represents a door to walk through when they’re ready for help. It represents a place where they will be met with compassion instead of judgment, encouragement instead of shame, and practical support instead of having to navigate recovery alone. Recovery isn’t just about stopping the use of substances. It’s about rebuilding lives, restoring families, finding purpose, and creating opportunities for people to succeed. Organizations like ARC make that possible by providing education, peer support, healthcare connections, transportation, early intervention for young people, and many other services that strengthen both individuals and our community,” Mundy said.

He noted that one thing which makes ARC especially meaningful is that it was created by people who understand recovery firsthand. “I’ve had the privilege of knowing Erin [Burke] and seeing parts of her journey. Like so many others, she faced difficult challenges with substance abuse but she chose recovery. Today, she has taken those experiences and transformed them into a life of service, helping others find the same hope that changed her own life. That is a powerful reminder that recovery is real. People do recover. Those who have walked the path often become some of our greatest advocates and leaders. ARC is more than a building. It is a symbol of what can happen when people refuse to give up on their neighbors. It represents collaboration between local government, community partners, healthcare providers, non profits, law enforcement, schools, faith communities, and individuals who simply want to make the Alexander County stronger. On behalf of Alexander County, I want to thank everyone who made this vision a reality.”

Dr. Jonathan Goodnight said, “As a physician practicing right here in our community, I’ve spent years seeing the devastating impact of substance use disorder… Today, that changes. Today, we open the doors to a Resource Center that will save lives. Achievement of this scale requires immense dedication, coordination, and resources. I thank Vaya Health for their generous, large grant which provided critical funding to build this foundation. Vaya Health’s commitment to rural healthcare infrastructure ensures the citizens of Alexander County have a state-of-the-art facility. As a medical professional, I know the fundamental truth that guides everything we do. Substance use disorder is not a moral failing. It is a chronic physical and psychological disease. Like diabetes or heart disease, it requires evidence-based medical intervention, continuous care, and profound compassion. Thanks to our partners, this center is built on that exact foundation.”

“First, we are bringing Medication Assisted Treatment directly to those in need. By combining FDA-approved medication with counseling and behavioral therapies, we can stabilize brain chemistry throughout the destructive affects of withdrawal and give individuals the clinical footing they need to focus on true recovery. MAT is the gold standard of care and it will be delivered here safely, professionally, and without judgment. Second, we are treating the whole patient by addressing their broader healthcare needs. Addiction rarely travels alone. It often brings neglected physical ailments and mental health challenges. This center can bridge that gap with access to primary healthcare and psychiatric support, assuring a person’s body and mind heal together,” said Goodnight.

“Finally, as a doctor, I know that clinical treatment is only half the battle. True wellness requires stability, dignity, and hope for the future. That is why I’m extremely proud that this center offers robust job training programs, has partnered with local businesses and educators to help our neighbors develop skills with true meaning for work and rebuild their independence. We aren’t just treating the disease, we’re helping people reclaim their lives and their purpose.”

“To my fellow neighbors and patients in Alexander County who are struggling, when you walk through these doors, you will be treated with utmost dignity. You will find a team of professionals who see your worth and are ready to stand by you,” Dr. Goodnight stated.

Alexander County PORT Coordinator Shannon Childers spoke next, noting that “Everyone has a story, and every story matters. This is a belief that we began sharing with every individual at the Alexander County PORT program three years ago. We would talk to individuals in their homes after an overdose. We would talk to individuals in the jails. We would talk to people who would come in off the streets. And we would continue to ask the question: We want to know your story, so tell us your story.”

“It’s not about why you’re here, what drug you used. It’s about your story. That story tells us a lot. Once we began to hear those stories, we began to ask the question: What resources do you need? Pioneers like RHA and Tracy Irvine and Nikki Harmon and ARMS continue to work and serve this community. Places like The Bridge Community and Priscilla Jenkins opened up and started offering other opportunities for services and help. But there were still gaps. Today, I’m thankful and happy, as the PORT Coordinator, that we have a new resource,” Mr. Childers said. “Not a standalone, but in collaboration with community and other organizations who have been here before us to serve and to help bring hope to this amazing county that I love so well.”

He noted that although ARC stands for Alexander Resource Center, it also represents the story arc that every person’s life goes through who walks through ARC’s doors.

Erin Burke spoke next. “Today, just isn’t about opening the doors to a building. It’s about opening the doors to hope, opportunity, and recovery for the people of Alexander County. Several years ago, if someone had told me I’d be standing here, opening a recovery resource center, I would not have believed them. Like many people in recovery, my journey wasn’t always a straight line. There were moments when I questioned whether I would ever have a purpose besides simply surviving. Recovery changed that. It gave me a second change. Most importantly, it gave me opportunity to serve others who are walking a path that I know all too well. That is what ARC is all about. Our vision has never been to duplicate services that already exist. Instead, we want to work alongside our incredible community partners to help fill gaps and make it easier for people to find the support they need. Recovery isn’t something that one organization can accomplish alone. It takes a whole community.”

Burke continued, “Over the past several months, we’ve been working to build a place where people can come without judgment, a place where someone can walk through the doors and find hope, encouragement, education, and connection. Whether that’s through our Pathways Early Intervention Program, our Recovery University classes, peer support, transporation assistance, our Nurse Practitioner services, or simply just having someone willing to listen. Our goal is to meet people where they are and help them move forward.”

She thanked the ARC Board, co-founder Brandy Childers, and all those who guided the idea into a reality.

Brandy Childers gave closing remarks. She said, “A year ago, this was just an idea on notebook paper. I look around and see just how much this project is led by the faithfulness of people who have a passion to serve others.” She thanked her 13 children and her husband, Shannon, for their support.

“Twenty-eight years ago, I was a 16 year old girl in this town. I was brand new. My dad was a pastor… A teen pregnancy later — at the time, for me, it was the town scandal — I struggled with addiction. I even have been arrested. I have spent the last 30 years hating the feeling that I felt as a 16 year old girl. I’ve spent 30 years helping others to not feel that way because all of us are just one decision, one mistake away from being in that position and feeling that way. I hope that I be an example to others who have survived trauma. I want to help people who are in need of love, hope, and community, because we all need that. I pray that we can circle around our community and the people in it and show the love of Christ we so openly say we want to serve. We’re to be the hands and the feet and I believe that’s what we are, here are ARC. I’ve made it my mission, my calling, and my family legacy to be who God called me to be, and that’s the Executive Director of Alexander Resource Center.”

After the ribbon cutting, Mrs. Childers invited attendees to tour the facility.