Operation Empower

The overall name of our project is called Liberty Recovery Community, but within the project umbrella we have Liberty Recovery & Training Center and Liberty Place Apartments. While housing is extremely important, our program can best be described as Housing & Recovery Aftercare, providing housing and non-medical services to persons recovering from opioid and other substance use disorders. Besides offering affordable housing, our services in our Recovery & Training Center include groups, education, therapies, social events, transportation, life skills, wellness, and recovery oriented services of care. Staff will also coordinate with other existing agencies to help provide education, employment counseling, brain health, financial maker overs and other services necessary to assist these individuals in their recovery. The goal is for our residents to live in safe, affordable housing with supportive services to help them obtain long term sobriety. We will offer a variety of programs for our residents to access and they will change through out the year providing new, exciting, and challenging material. The fact that our residents live in a community setting with their peers is vitally important because people in recovery identify and enjoy the company of their peers and they don't have to be alone. Family ties are many times severed and our community will help our residents to learn how to have healthy relationships in a safe environment. Liberty Recovery & Training Center will work with our resident's families to help them have healthy family relationships. Our program is a first of its kind for the state of Iowa and Liberty Recovery Community hopes to create a model of aftercare that can be replicated in other communities. Our goal is to raise up peers to become leaders who are excited to be trained as peer support specialists. We want to impact our project as well as Dubuque community.

Operation Empower is a 501(c)3 nonprofit with 13 years’ experience serving populations affected by domestic violence, substance use disorders, physical/mental disabilities,domestic abuse, and homelessness. We provide assistance with budgeting, transportation, employment, education, food, obtaining appointments, education, life skills, and recovery oriented services. We have been operating community-style living since 2007 at our Manasseh and Salvia Apartments, both of which are permanent supportive housing programs.. We have empowered many people, and have long term residents because we provide safe, affordable housing in a shared living environment. Because of the epidemic proportions and need concerningf substance abuse, our vision is to grow and specialize in the recovery arena. We are embarking on a new, dynamic and creative endeavor called Liberty Recovery Community. Manasseh House has received a contract of $2.7 million from the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) to construct a new 24 one-bedroom unit building for persons recovering from opioid, drug, or alcohol abuse. This is the first of its kind in Iowa. It will be located on the Liberty Bank property at 2216 White Street. The existing building will be remodeled into a recovery and training center where tenants can receive help every day.