BRAINERD — Positive changes are underway at the Adult & Teen Challenge women’s center in Brainerd.
The program opened its
new women’s center in January 2024
for adults and teens seeking treatment for substance abuse and addiction. Now, a new children’s playroom helps families stay connected during the challenging treatment process.
Featuring books, toys, a large mural, a kitchen set and a wooden loft with a slide, the space is the product of collaboration between many individuals.
Jasmine Shackleford / Brainerd Dispatch
Abigail Peltier, director of the Brainerd women’s center at Adult & Teen Challenge, said the playroom makes a real difference for women in the program.
“A main barrier of women seeking substance use treatment is being away from their children,” Peltier said. “We want to help with that barrier as much as possible, so we wanted this room to make visits more enjoyable and memorable for moms who are temporarily separated from their children.”
The project started as part of the Blue Ox Leadership Experience, a program by the Brainerd Chamber of Commerce that allows individuals from dozens of local businesses to come together and identify a need in the community.
According to Dylan Hendrickson, a quality technician at Lexington Manufacturing and one of the project leaders, the playroom was the culmination of months of brainstorming.
Hendrickson said the group with Blue Ox Leadership Experience decided to get in contact with Adult & Teen Challenge for a project after discussing the difficulties of addiction and the importance of treatment centers.
“They’d just opened the women’s facility, and they had not quite the same resources as the men, because co-ed is harder to maintain,” Hendrickson said. “So we were talking about all the things you would need, and one of them we all were passionate about was the ability to visit their children. So that’s where it started.”
Jasmine Shackleford / Brainerd Dispatch
Once the Blue Ox team got in contact with the leadership of the women’s center, they discussed potential needs, and Hendrickson put together a presentation with his ideas. After refining the scope of the project, plans eventually took shape.
Most other Adult & Teen Challenge locations have similar children’s rooms, according to Peltier. The Brainerd treatment centers are among hundreds across the country associated with Adult & Teen Challenge, a Christian organization that uses faith-based treatment practices. The Brainerd women’s program lasts 90 days on average.
Gathering funding for the project took some time, according to Hendrickson. Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union was the lead financial donor. Home Depot, Daughters of the American Revolution, the Rotary Foundation, Lexington Manufacturing and several anonymous donors also contributed resources and funds.
Many individuals made the project possible. Calihan Yliniemi painted the mural of a lush forest with deer, birds and other animals. Randi Lasher from State Services for the Blind, Madeline Johnson from Visit Brainerd and Rick Kelm from Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union also contributed as team members.
Shannon Sawyer, who works at Clow Stamping and contributed to the project, said creating the playroom was very collaborative.
“Everybody had input and ideas on what their vision was, and then we just brought it together,” Sawyer said.
Jasmine Shackleford / Brainerd Dispatch
Sawyer said narrowing down their ideas was a long and iterative process.
“I never had met Dylan before or anybody in the group, and next thing you know, we’re taking on this project together,” Sawyer said. “From October to January, we did a lot of planning at our monthly meetings, we’d sit down and talk about all of our ideas. I think we started to bring it to life in February.”
According to Peltier, the playroom has already had positive impacts.
“The children are enjoying their visits, and I think it’s more enjoyable for the mothers,” Peltier said. “With small children, it’s hard to put them in an adult space and expect them to function well, so a space where they can play and explore and have an energy outlet makes it less stressful for the moms.”
Jasmine Shackleford / Brainerd Dispatch
Peltier said the playroom aligns with Adult & Teen Challenge’s mission to bring hope within reach of every Minnesotan.
“We want to put hope within reach of all the mothers by doing everything we can to make sure they maintain a good relationship with their children while they’re in treatment,” Peltier said.
Hendrickson said the team found the project especially important because many had personal ties to the organization’s mission.
“I had a problem with quitting alcohol, and I can’t imagine going through that journey without being able to contact your children,” Hendrickson said. “So a safe and appropriate place for their kids to come visit was something that really spoke to me.”
Jasmine Shackleford / Brainerd Dispatch
Though the process was very collaborative, some team members focused on specific tasks.
“For the most part, Madeline was in charge of paint, Randi was in charge of toys, Shannon was in charge of purchasing and I was in charge of the play set,” Hendrickson said. “So it really balanced itself out.”
The project was completed in May and is already making a difference in the lives of parents and children alike.
Jasmine Shackleford, Reporter Intern, may be reached at [email protected] or (218)-855-5851
Jasmine Shackleford is a reporter intern with the Brainerd Dispatch for the summer of 2025. She is a student at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where she is pursuing a degree in journalism and urban studies and will be entering her third year in the fall. She has previously lived in upper Michigan, northern Wisconsin, California and Minnesota. Jasmine can be reached at 218-855-5851 or [email protected].
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