CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — A Charlotte nonprofit that helps women recover from substance abuse addictions is expanding.
Dove's Nest has raised $9 million of the $11 million it needs to start building a bigger facility, which officials said is needed now more than ever.
Right now, 12 women share a four-bedroom, two-bath house in Dilworth. For 120 days, they're enrolled in Dove's Nest's intense drug and alcohol recovery program.
The organization plans to expand from a 12-bed facility to a 120-bed facility, with 90 beds for women and 30 for children.
Rev. Tony Marciano, the executive director of Charlotte Rescue Mission, said more than 1,000 women are trying to get into Dove's Nest. The fact that there are currently only 12 beds leaves many women with the chance to relapse, he said.
But by the end of next year, the organization will be able to house and help 10 times the current number of women and, for the first time, children.
Marciano pointed out the layout of the new facility on West Boulevard in west Charlotte, and he also pointed out the main reason for Dove's Nest.
"There's something broken in that woman's life that's causing her to make these self-destructive decisions," Marciano said. "So we're working from the inside out."
Sandra Krasen turned to Dove's Nest when her family kicked her out after a 15-year addiction to painkillers.
"It saved my life and I know it can save a lot of other women's lives," she said.
Marciano said he hopes Dove's Nest will not only continue to open doors for more women but also shuts the door on a growing problem.
"I want the day to come when my missions department calls me and says there's no more need," Marciano said.
For more information about Dove's Nest, click here.