AN EYE-OPENING VISIT

Sieners become campaign supporters after seeing Lifeline’s work

If a picture paints 1,000 words, then a visit to Lifeline surely is worth many more.

That was the experience of Jason and Leigh Ann Siener, when they visited the men’s and women’s campuses.

As potential donors to “A Campaign for Recovery: Breaking the Cycle of Addiction, One Life at a Time,” they were mostly unfamiliar with Lifeline. They had heard of it, and they knew some board members; but they didn’t know the extent of the recovery center’s services or of the local need.

“I didn’t realize they stay at capacity all the time,” said Jason, entrepreneur and former owner of Beltline Electric, “and many who need the service can’t be accepted. They need funds to grow, to offer the service to more who need it. That was the biggest surprise to me.”

He and Leigh Ann have been community supporters of United Way and Baptist Health’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. “We focus on a few areas where we can have the biggest impact,” he said. They decided Lifeline was a good fit for their giving goals.

“We want our contribution to make our community stronger,” Leigh Ann said, “and the faith-based focus is important to us.”

As members of Heartland Church, they appreciate the Scripture’s illustration of many parts in the church making up one body. “The Bible says (in I Corinthians 12:12-27) that each of us has a different part to play,” she said. “As we support our community, some choose to give to one organization, while we support another one. Together, we can all use our different gifts to help our community be stronger.”

Lifeline clients often worship at Heartland. “It is beautiful to see their transformation (on their sobriety journey),” she said. “We love the courage and strength it takes for them to go through recovery.”

Leigh Ann said they are fortunate to share their blessings with them. “We both come from strong, stable families,” she said, “and if we hadn’t, we might not be where we are today. We believe God calls us to use that strength to help others who didn’t have the same opportunities we had. We see the impact on generations in addiction, and we want to use our blessings to help break that cycle.”

Jason and Leigh Ann, now supporters of the capital campaign, encourage others to visit Lifeline to see for themselves the difference they can make in the lives of the clients and their families. “Addiction could happen to any one of us,” Jason said. “The impact of this disease hurts not just the individuals and their families, but our whole community. There is clearly a need for us to do what we can to change that.”

If you’re interested in a tour or more information on ways you can help, phone 270.443.4743.