DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
Identifying a need in Adams County, Rene LeBlanc is one of several people in Adams County who are pursuing a large, ambitious project to build a recovery house for those in the area struggling with addiction.
A personal passion of LeBlanc’s, helping people recovering from addiction is the goal of Crossroads Community. The project has been a hot topic for local government entities over the past few weeks as LeBlanc and his fellow board members attempt to secure funding to get the project off the ground.
The story of how LeBlanc ended up spearheading this project in Adams County is an interesting one to say the least.
LeBlanc and his wife were living in Louisville and made arrangements to travel to her hometown of Berne before moving to Pensacola, Florida, where Rene was set to begin working for a new non-profit.
Instead, LeBlanc’s wife had a change of heart after missing out on a job at her alma mater – she decided that she had been gone from Berne for too long and wanted to stay.
“That was not part of the plan,” he laughs. “But I came to terms with the decision to stay and we moved here and the first thing I decided to do was to look in the classifieds for a job for someone with experience in the drilling and oil industry (where he had experience).”
No such listing existed, so LeBlanc took his home bayou culture and cooking and converted it into a food truck. The Cajun Cafe was successful in the area for many years, despite some obstacles.
“It wasn’t easy overcoming the tenderloin and BBQ mentality of Hoosiers,” he chuckles.
LeBlanc recalls with fondness the long hours he spent sharing cajun cuisine with locals, but that stage of his life has now passed as he focuses on Crossroads.
After presenting his ambitions to Drug Free Adams County, LeBlanc and Ian Gilbert were approached by a county commissioner about the possibility of using public money for the project.
The non-profit organization has been seeking the use of ARPA funds for the construction of their facility and additional funds from the Indiana Opioid epidemic settlement for ongoing costs.
“If it had not been for that DFAC meeting and the comment by the commissioner, I don’t think we would be where we are today,” says LeBlanc.
What is Crossroads Community?
The facility, if built, will be a recovery house for those trying to beat their addictions. Residents must stay drug-free and they must pay rent in the amount of $150/week. Transportation to work and other programs will be offered to help residents get back on their feet with their new lives.
Residents will be required to follow a curfew and attend house meetings and they must also obtain a sponsor as they go through the process.
LeBlanc’s passion for this project comes from his own life experiences.
“I know first-hand the struggle a recovering addict goes through as I have gone through it myself and I, too, am in recovery,” he says.
“Having the past experience of being the founder and director of a similar non-profit organization in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I knew that no matter where I ended up in life, there was a strong possibility that I would end up back in the field of addictions and recovery. Once we decided to move to Berne and I knew that we were here to stay, I immediately started working on the formation of a 501c3 nonprofit organization which I also knew from past experience, was no simple task. Once the IRS approval letter arrived, I set out to work visiting local recovery support group meetings to gauge the atmosphere of addictions and recovery in the community, services available and those that were lacking, and reaching out to local agencies to introduce myself and see how I can be of service in Adams County given my past experience.”
LeBlanc’s relationship with Ian Gilbert, who is involved in the corrections and probation department in Adams County, is one that he truly values.
“I am proud to call Ian a friend of mine.”
The two visionaries teamed up with two other local men, judge Sam Conrad and Kevan Biggs.
Now, the work is getting the funding to make the dream become a reality.
“The vision is taking shape and key players are in place to create this much-needed resource to a very underserved population group in our community where no services like the ones Crossroads Community provides are currently in existence.”
Board of Directors a key in furthering the project
Along with Gilbert, Conrad and Biggs, LeBlanc felt that, as an outsider to Adams County, he needed a strong Board of Directors to help his efforts. He made contact with Eric Lehman at the Bridge church and added Cady Wilson, an attorney at Sprunger & Sprunger, to his team. He also boasts Michael Baer, Rick Schwartz and Hailey Beer as part of his team of supporters for the project.
Funding and politics – a difficult path to navigate
LeBlanc admits that he is not very knowledgeable about politics, but after being approached by several government leaders in Adams County, he made his plea to the various boards and elected bodies.
“I did not expect it to be this tough to get a much-needed service in place to help us help others who are in desperate need of the services we provide.”
After meeting some resistance at various levels, LeBlanc and his team scaled back their request.
“We have reduced our original request by half, agreeing with the county that they should not foot the bill for the entire project.”
Separation of church and state
After receiving a “No” vote from one county official, LeBlanc has addressed the issue of whether his project keeps the principle of the separation of church and state in mind.
“We have removed any and all funding requests for education, programming, services, salaries, and anything else to do with the faith-based aspect of Crossroads,” notes LeBlanc. He explains that his group is now only asking for assistance to build (1) administrative building with 4 offices (one for the director, one for program manager, one for housing/transportation manager, and one office to be shared by local agency reps to be able to come in and out of the facility throughout the week and provide their services to our residents whenever needed–counseling, probation, OFS, etc.), and (1) residential cabin housing eight individuals.
Where will the rest of the money come from?
“The rest of the money can be raised through other community efforts such as fundraisers, donations, grants on the local community and state level, and other funding sources available along the way. When Crossroads has the need or demand, the means, and the finances, we can build the next cabin, then the next, and so on.”
The next step
LeBlanc knows that his group’s project is a long ways from being completed, but they are moving forward nonetheless. They want to begin offering services even if the housing element is not yet reality.
“Even if the county gave a million-dollar check,” LeBlanc says, “it would take over a year to construct the facility if allowed to do so on the four acres requested near the jail.”
In the meantime, the group hopes to rent office space that will allow them to open as soon as August or September of this year and be a resource for those who are in need of the support services they can give at that point such as recovery support group meetings, relapse prevention education, job readiness training, job placement assistance, transportation, finance & budgeting skills training, etc.
Pilot program possible
In an effort to demonstrate what the program can do, LeBlanc and Gilbert are working on a modified pilot program.
“We hope to be able to house 1-2 men and use this time to begin the Crossroads “pilot program” on a small scale to let the community as a whole see the program in action, not just in theory.”
LeBlanc’s passion for the project came through more than ever when he delivered his next sentence.
“Even if we help save one life while the rest of the pieces of the puzzle are falling into place, we did what we set out to do which is make a positive impact in the community. If we save just one person from potentially dying due to drug overdose, is that not what it is all about?”
Crossroads will be on the agenda for County Council and for the County Commissioners in August. LeBlanc has asked for anyone who supports the project to be in attendance.
Follow WZBD for more information on LeBlanc’s efforts and the aforementioned county meetings.
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