Recovery center for women battling addiction opens in Temple

TEMPLE, Texas (KWTX) - Hilltop Recovery Ministries officially moved into their new home, the Cora Anderson Building, which used to be Temple’s Black hospital during the segregation era.

Hilltop Recovery Ministries has been around since 2012 and aims to help women live a life free from addiction.

”It is a huge moment to actually see it come to fruition and see women start being healed,” executive director Tanya Roper said.

Amy Diggs said in 2013 she frequently drank and used drugs, was in an abusive relationship and was thinking of taking her own life.

”I couldn’t imagine living one more breath that way, so I reached out to Hilltop,” Diggs said.

At the new site Hilltop Recovery Ministries will offer an intensive outpatient program that will include group therapy, art therapy and bible study.

”Women will come in 17 hours a week for the program and it will focus on recovery,” Roper said.

For the past three months crews have been busy getting an AC system installed, updating the water heater and painting walls.

”Walls needed to be taken down,” Roper said. “There were bookcases that were built over the bath tubs. We didn’t even know if those worked until we removed them. There’s been crazy construction going on up until yesterday.”

Diggs believes this new and improved center will change lives, just as the organization changed hers.

”My hope is that they come through those doors and find love and hope,” Diggs said.

Additionally, Hilltop Recovery Ministries will offer a residential program where 10 women battling substance abuse will stay onsite. But they still need to raise $60,000 to buy a fire suppression system and are accepting donations.

The organization is also looking for volunteers and currently accepting applications.