monthly missions highlight
Pennsylvania Adult & Teen Challenge
Since 1958, when our founder, the Reverend David Wilkerson, began intervening in the lives of addicted young people, PAATC has been at the forefront of addiction recovery. By 1962, Rev. Wilkerson had expanded his project in scope to include vocational training as well as treatment. This expansion coincided with moving the operation to a 16-acre farm in Rehrersburg, PA. That farm, which many refer to as “God’s Mountain” remains our main campus to this day.
Today, Pennsylvania Adult & Teen Challenge offers faith-based, comprehensive treatment programs to men and women. We are proud to offer highly regarded residential treatment programs at our Rehrersburg, PA and Western PA campuses. For individuals seeking help who cannot commit to a residential program, we offer outpatient programs through the Naaman Center with locations in Elizabethtown, Lebanon, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and two in Lancaster, PA.
Today, Pennsylvania Adult & Teen Challenge offers faith-based, comprehensive treatment programs to men and women. We are proud to offer highly regarded residential treatment programs at our Rehrersburg, PA and Western PA campuses. For individuals seeking help who cannot commit to a residential program, we offer outpatient programs through the Naaman Center with locations in Elizabethtown, Lebanon, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and two in Lancaster, PA.
Our philosophy at Pennsylvania Adult & Teen Challenge is based on a simple set of core values which include Faith, Compassion, Dignity, and Excellence. We believe that addiction results in individuals that are fragmented and broken. Therefore, we have made it our business to mend that fragmentation, and to make broken individuals whole. That mission started with Reverend David Wilkerson in 1958, and it continues today.
At PAATC, we believe that through a relationship with Jesus Christ, there is the hope of recovery for everyone struggling with substance use disorders and dependency issues. The dedicated team at Pennsylvania Adult & Teen Challenge is proud to offer a safe place for recovery — one that is based on the solid foundation of the teachings of Christ.
We often identify our work as “bringing wholeness to the hopeless” and the hundreds of men and women who have successfully completed our programs are a testament to the strength of this mission. When someone you love or care about is at the end of their rope and feels like there is nowhere else to turn, we are here for them.
A FATHER RESTORED
Sarah grew up in a warm and loving home in Pennsylvania. As the youngest of three, born eight years after her brothers, she was the surprise baby. Her parents were young and active, always making sure the family spent time together. Sundays were special. She and her dad, Joe, rarely missed a church service. Their bond was deep, and to Sarah, he was everything a father should be. Growing up, there were no signs of addiction. Her parents didn’t drink, and life felt steady. But everything changed during her senior year of high school.
Joe lost his best friend, his marriage began to fall apart, and after a surgery, he was prescribed pain medication. That moment became a turning point. Sarah noticed that her dad’s weight was dropping, and his energy was fading. He stopped showing up for plans. When she went to college, she learned he was no longer living at home. Her mom tried to shield her from the whole truth of how bad his addiction had become, but it was impossible to ignore. Her father was homeless, bouncing between couches and eventually living out of the car she had given him. It broke her heart. She tried to keep it all together, juggling classes while quietly parenting the man who had once taken care of her. She remembers screaming at him one Father’s Day, not out of anger but out of fear that she might lose him. She wanted him to know he still had someone in his corner who believed in him.
That belief led to hope. Joe got connected to our program and decided to go to treatment. Sarah was relieved. Finally, he would be safe. She trusted the program because of its strong faith foundation and what she had seen it do for others. From the very beginning of his stay, Sarah could hear the change in his voice. He was excited again, full of purpose. He immersed himself in classes, in community, and most importantly, in his faith. Sarah watched as her father found his footing and began to rebuild his life, brick by brick, prayer by prayer. One of the most powerful moments came in 2022 when Sarah and Joe were baptized together during Celebrate at the Rehrersburg campus. It was a moment of full-circle grace. Father and daughter, side by side, renewed in their faith and bonded in their healing. Father’s Day is no longer filled with fear. It’s filled with peace. “Every day, I’m grateful my dad is here. He’s safe, he’s smiling, and he’s my best friend again. That’s the kind of love I celebrate, not just one day a year, but every single day. ”
Today, Sarah no longer carries the fear of losing her father to addiction. Instead, she carries the joy of watching him grow, thrive, and live a life better than the day before. Joe is back to being the dad she remembers… strong, steady, and full of hope. And Sarah? She’s a living testament to the power of relentless love, the kind that never gives up.
At PAATC, we believe that through a relationship with Jesus Christ, there is the hope of recovery for everyone struggling with substance use disorders and dependency issues. The dedicated team at Pennsylvania Adult & Teen Challenge is proud to offer a safe place for recovery — one that is based on the solid foundation of the teachings of Christ.
We often identify our work as “bringing wholeness to the hopeless” and the hundreds of men and women who have successfully completed our programs are a testament to the strength of this mission. When someone you love or care about is at the end of their rope and feels like there is nowhere else to turn, we are here for them.
A FATHER RESTORED
Sarah grew up in a warm and loving home in Pennsylvania. As the youngest of three, born eight years after her brothers, she was the surprise baby. Her parents were young and active, always making sure the family spent time together. Sundays were special. She and her dad, Joe, rarely missed a church service. Their bond was deep, and to Sarah, he was everything a father should be. Growing up, there were no signs of addiction. Her parents didn’t drink, and life felt steady. But everything changed during her senior year of high school.
Joe lost his best friend, his marriage began to fall apart, and after a surgery, he was prescribed pain medication. That moment became a turning point. Sarah noticed that her dad’s weight was dropping, and his energy was fading. He stopped showing up for plans. When she went to college, she learned he was no longer living at home. Her mom tried to shield her from the whole truth of how bad his addiction had become, but it was impossible to ignore. Her father was homeless, bouncing between couches and eventually living out of the car she had given him. It broke her heart. She tried to keep it all together, juggling classes while quietly parenting the man who had once taken care of her. She remembers screaming at him one Father’s Day, not out of anger but out of fear that she might lose him. She wanted him to know he still had someone in his corner who believed in him.
That belief led to hope. Joe got connected to our program and decided to go to treatment. Sarah was relieved. Finally, he would be safe. She trusted the program because of its strong faith foundation and what she had seen it do for others. From the very beginning of his stay, Sarah could hear the change in his voice. He was excited again, full of purpose. He immersed himself in classes, in community, and most importantly, in his faith. Sarah watched as her father found his footing and began to rebuild his life, brick by brick, prayer by prayer. One of the most powerful moments came in 2022 when Sarah and Joe were baptized together during Celebrate at the Rehrersburg campus. It was a moment of full-circle grace. Father and daughter, side by side, renewed in their faith and bonded in their healing. Father’s Day is no longer filled with fear. It’s filled with peace. “Every day, I’m grateful my dad is here. He’s safe, he’s smiling, and he’s my best friend again. That’s the kind of love I celebrate, not just one day a year, but every single day. ”
Today, Sarah no longer carries the fear of losing her father to addiction. Instead, she carries the joy of watching him grow, thrive, and live a life better than the day before. Joe is back to being the dad she remembers… strong, steady, and full of hope. And Sarah? She’s a living testament to the power of relentless love, the kind that never gives up.