When we began our lives together as husband and wife, we never imagined that founding a non-profit, benefiting women struggling with addiction, would be a part of our story. However, in 2007 we lost Andrew’s mother to her own battle with addiction and our lives were never the same. In an instant, we experienced firsthand the loss, pain and devastation that chemical dependency can bring to a family.
For a number of years our family searched for ways to help other women struggling with addiction, but it wasn’t until 2015 when we were introduced to the global organization of Adult and Teen Challenge.
"Through a number of serendipitous encounters, it was quite clear that God was calling us to open a center for women in the La Crosse area."
Since officially opening our doors in 2019, we have watched numerous ladies walk through our doors hopeless, lost and broken often with only the clothes on their backs. Each one weighed down by the bonds of addiction and searching for a chance at a new life. What they are met with at ATCWW is an incredible staff that shows them love and makes them feel a part of a family.
We have had the honor of experiencing God move in mighty ways in our clients’ lives. We have seen the restoration of relationships between mothers and their children, inmates given a new hope outside of prison walls, and old lives on a path to utter destruction and death now turned around and thriving.
As we celebrate these past years of helping women find freedom, we are excited to look toward the future. We envision countless more stories of chains being broken, and addiction loosening its grip on mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends. When one woman is set free, she has the ability to cause a ripple effect in the circles around her. Generational curses are broken, children live in more stable environments, friends and co-workers are inspired, and ultimately communities are changed.
Some may say that founding a center like Adult and Teen Challenge of Western Wisconsin is a calling. We believe it is simply giving of our “yes”.
At different times in all of our lives, God invites us to partner with Him to make a difference in our world. Frequently, the task feels out of our capacity and stretches us past our comfort zone. But God uses those opportunities to turn the biggest challenges into the biggest blessings.
We will always feel humbled and grateful for the father’s hug and tearful comment, “Thank you for giving me my daughter back.” It is truly an honor to watch the beautiful things that God does through our staff behind the doors of Adult and Teen Challenge of Western Wisconsin.
We believe everyone deserves to live a life free from the bonds of addiction, and we’re grateful for a God that gives us that hope!
Andrew and Jamie Dahl