FAITH FUELS COMMITMENT TO DRUG ABUSE CENTER

A sudden spiritual awakening transformed Don Beckman from a troubled,
hard-drinking lumberjack to a sober, grateful man of God. He studied the
Bible and took his faith on the road as an evangelist.

Along the way, Beckman discovered he had a special rapport with drug
addicts, people with whom he thought he had nothing in common.

This led Beckman and his wife, Carolyn, to Santa Barbara 30 years ago to
open the Drug Abuse Preventive Center, a home for addicted men. The charity
has endured its ups and downs -- an arson fire set by a resident in 1982
killed two men -- but the Beckmans continue their work, taking in about 15
addicts at a time. They've helped hundreds over the years.

"I think our faith in God plays a huge part in staying with it because it
can get to you at times," said Beckman, with a knowing look at his wife.
"But we pray, and our faith in God is returned."

To mark the Beckmans' faith and staying power, the center's board of
directors will host an anniversary celebration Saturday at the center, with
an open house from noon to 4 p.m. There will be testimonials from staff
members and former residents who became sober there, and the Beckmans will
receive recognition for their efforts.

The couple lives in an apartment that is part of the center's stuccoed and
red-tiled complex at 14 W. Arrellaga St. In addition to ministering to the
residents, the Beckmans counsel troubled people who drop in for help, and
they hold Friday night prayer meetings that are open to anyone.

"It's like an extended family here," said Beckman. "Some of the men have
never known a mother or a father, and we seem to fit that role. All of us
have a need to be loved and understood."

Beckman, who has a Pentecostal background and is ordained through the Full
Gospel Fellowship of Churches and Ministries International, serves people at
the center as well as at other Christian organizations, such as the
Salvation Army, Santa Barbara Rescue Mission and Hospitality House.

"They've been around a long time, one of the original players in clean and
sober living in Santa Barbara," said Alex Brumbaugh of the Recovery
Community Network, a project of the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.

When the Beckmans started their work here in 1969, they dealt with people in
their teens and 20s who were addicted to uppers, downers, heroin and LSD. In
addition to running the sober living home, they provided drug education to
thousands of children in the public schools.

In 30 years, the drug scene has changed dramatically, the Beckmans said.
Most of the men they see now are between the ages of 25 and 35 and are
addicted to alcohol and cocaine. Their home lives and their financial
affairs are usually disastrous. The men are angry, often at God. And many
who come through the doors are not at all grateful to be there.

"We try to give them an honest view of God. God is love," Beckman said.
"They may feel they have had a raw deal. But they respect us, and they may
see the light. They may not choose to serve God, but they stop taking drugs."

Some people say Beckman himself is the key factor in the center's success.

"He is a wonderful mentor and guide and friend to the men," said Dale Myers
of the Rescue Mission. "You have to be called to this work. You have to.
It's very difficult at times."

Strict rules govern the men at the center, which has an annual budget of
about $122,000. The residents need not believe in God, but they have to take
part in an hour of prayer and Bible study every morning. They can't swear,
smoke, drink or use drugs.

"We see people 10 years later, and one of the first things they say is that
they continue to pray," Beckman said.

Beckman was an evangelist preacher without a flock before he came to Santa
Barbara. He had been invited to preach at a colleague's drug treatment
center in Santa Cruz, and reluctantly agreed. He wasn't interested in
working with addicts -- he wanted to preach.

But "the men really responded, and there were remarkable changes in them,"
Beckman recalled. "I was amazed."

Later, a letter came from a probation officer from Santa Barbara, who wanted
to send a young heroin addict to the Santa Cruz center.

"As I read the letter, I felt God's spirit speak to my spirit," Beckman
said. "God was telling me to go to Santa Barbara."

The couple came to town with little money and, within a year, they had a
baby on the way. But they were undaunted.

The Beckmans networked with churches and law enforcement people. A probation
officer whose wife worked at Sansum Medical Clinic got that center to donate
a house on De la Vina Street. The Beckmans formed a board of directors and a
year later opened the larger center on Arrellaga Street.

Gary Detjens, 42, came to the center two years ago and has been sober since
he walked through the doors. He had become addicted to crack cocaine after
the murder in Florida of his 15-year-old son, by another teen-ager.

"When I got here I knew I had to do something drastic," Detjens said. "They
have provided me with love and concern for my life. They are here to help
people, and they do it very well."