Iowa Breaks Ground on Major Addiction Recovery Center

A decade of community planning is finally taking physical form on a 40-acre campus in Sioux City, Iowa, where construction has started on a major addiction treatment center.

Agape Community Services broke ground this week on a facility designed to house 65 men through intensive 9 to 12 month residential programs. The center sits on 28th Street, strategically located next to the Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center to foster collaboration and streamline referrals.

The timing couldn't be more critical. In 2024, Woodbury County ranked sixth in Iowa for drug-involved overdose deaths, a stark reminder of the crisis gripping communities nationwide.

"We want to put people back into the community," said Rachelle Rawson, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Agape. "They're for the community, a part of it, changing the world alongside everyone else."

The program combines cognitive behavioral therapy with mentorship and faith-based support. But the goal extends far beyond sobriety alone.

Leaders envision graduates who return as engaged husbands, present fathers, and active community members. The approach focuses on equipping men with practical tools and supportive relationships to sustain long-term change.

"When people come in, I want their shame to go off," Rawson explained. The center aims to replace stigma with dignity and isolation with belonging.

The project received a significant boost in August 2025 when Iowa's Department of Health and Human Services awarded $2 million from the National Opioid Settlement funds. Still, organizers need to raise another $1.8 million for construction and $500,000 for the first year's operations.

"We need all hands on deck," Rawson said. "It doesn't matter how small, medium or big, to get involved."

The Ripple Effect

This facility represents just the first phase of Agape's vision. Plans include future buildings to serve women and teens, expanding the reach of recovery services throughout Siouxland.

The partnership with local law enforcement creates a bridge between the justice system and healing. Instead of cycling through incarceration, individuals will find pathways to recovery and reintegration.

For Emily Vondrak, Marketing Manager at Agape, watching construction begin feels momentous. "To see this vision that's been in the works for really over a decade fully coming to life, to see the community support behind it in this real and tangible way is just absolutely incredible."

The center is scheduled for completion in June 2027, when it will welcome its first residents seeking transformation and a fresh start.