A house outside Warsaw will serve as headquarters for All Things New, a substance abuse recovery program for women. (Photo provided)

WARSAW — After two and a half years of looking, All Things New, a rehabilitation program for women struggling with substance abuse, has a home in the Warsaw Area.

On 23 acres of ground west of town stands a house with so many rooms, that the organization is not sure what to do with them all. Founder and local attorney Bill Fawley pointed out what many of them will be for. To the left is the kitchen. Across the hall is a dining/all-purpose room.

In the back is an apartment for a house manager. Upstairs are rooms for residents. The basement offers additional learning space, plenty of room for laundry and a “War Room,” inspired by the movie. The kitchen has a pantry big enough to hold the food and supplies the organization will need to keep residents fed.

Residents will have opportunity to learn cooking, gardening, food preservation and basic life skills. Classes will range from GED preparation to parenting skills. Bible classes will also be available.

“We can’t make anybody believe anything, but we’re making it available” Fawley said.

All Things New does not offer medical care, so residents must not have drugs in their systems when they come and cannot be pregnant. Different stages of the program offer various levels of freedom, with the first several months being very strict. Residents are not kept against their will and can leave the program at any time, Fawley said.

Fawley’s inspiration came during a particularly tough court case. One of his witnesses, Brittany, was addicted to meth. Because of this, Fawley had to spend extra time working with her to sort out her testimony.

“She got to me,” he said. “She said, ‘Mr. Fawley, I’ve been praying for God to send somebody in my life who can help me.'”

Fawley’s heart went out to her, but he was not sure what to do. A former pastor, he talked to her, prayed with her and gave her a Gospel of John.

“I didn’t really do much for her,” he said.

Another day, he was working on Brittany’s testimony and she broke down.

“She just started to cry and cry,” he said. “She said, ‘I so desperately want to be different but I don’t know how.'”

Fawley was deeply affected. “I was kind of a mess after that,” he said.

The words of James 2 kept playing in his mind. He got into the car and turned on the radio; the first thing he heard was, “I Refuse,” by Christian musician Josh Wilson, a song about refusing to live an empty life when there are needs to be met.

Fawley believed God was calling him to do something about Brittany and others in her situation. That is how All Things New came about.

Fawley hopes to have the facility ready by September. Local groups have been helping and all of the interior painting is done. However, there is still a lot of work to do. All Things New is also seeking a house manager, or “house mom,” and female volunteers.

For more information, contact All Things New at (574) 527-5378 or click here.