New multimillion dollar facility open its doors in Elkhart

There’s a new $3.4 million facility in Elkhart. North Central Indiana Teen Challenge, or NCITC for short, celebrated its ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday alongside Congresswoman Jackie Walorski and many Elkhart leaders.

This Elkhart facility is now the largest of the four other teen challenge centers in the whole state with nearly 37 thousand square feet.

Now, almost 100 men will be able to stay here.

“Hope needs an address. That address in this community is 1111 W. Bristol Street,” said NCITC Director Andrew Collins.  

This new facility, with the help of local contributions and donations, will be able to house 48 students and living quarters for six interns and staff. That totals 96 men and 12 interns and staff.

Before, the facility only housed 23 men. Collins says this is much needed in Elkhart County.

“Unless they have someone to point them in the right direction they tend to reach of the wrong thing.”

It’ll include a large kitchen and dining room, a chapel, classrooms and even a recreational area.

NCITC is a faith-based residential approach to drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Collins says they run on three priorities, “long term, faith-based and residential.”

Collins says the facility will fill up in the coming years. Since 2010 when NCITC started in Elkhart County hundreds of men have turned their lives around.