Wendy Lambert, a 2021 graduate of the Trep OnTrack Business Bootcamp, had already started a business when she found out about the Trep School’s program funded by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority R3 grant.

At the time, the Step Recovery Center, which aims to support those suffering from addiction, operated out of a one-bedroom house on Tillman Street in Danville. At one point, they had to remove the wall between the bedroom and living room in order to fit more attendees for Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

“We had up to 28 people at one time in the house when it was cold,” Wendy says. “Outside, we had a little over 50 people in the backyard for a meeting or a function like a celebration for someone who successfully reached another milestone in their recovery.”

Things began to change for Wendy and the STEP Recovery Center when she enrolled in the Trep OnTrack Business Bootcamp, where she received useful tools that helped launch her business into a more successful organization.

“Those tools helped steer us into strategic planning and marketing that allowed us to see the future in a way that was not only obtainable, but brighter than we could ever dream possible,” she says. “The material was easy to understand and applied to each of us in our own organizations, no matter how diverse we were. Tricia (Teague) took the time to get to know each of our organizations and look deeper into our dreams about what we wanted our organization to become. Each class was like a pep rally. We left feeling empowered and able to reach goals that may have been unobtainable.”

After winning the first annual Trep OnTrack Pitch Contest with a Grand Prize of $5,000, she combined it with her funds from the Trep OnTrack Business Bootcamp grant to pay for six months’ worth of rent in a much bigger building, buy new office furniture to fill said space, cover insurance for the directors and officers, fund internet and cable for the building, and purchase a 55-inch television to use for training and workshops. They were also able to buy office equipment like printers, copy paper, ink, staplers, pens, and whiteboards, as well as t-shirts to promote the business. According to Wendy, all these things helped catapult the STEP Recovery Center into success.

She had some especially great things to say about Trep School founder and CEO Tricia:

“Tricia Teague is a pillar of this community that stands for all entrepreneurs who want to change the world right here where we live. She’s an amazing woman and so incredibly knowledgeable about grassroots organizations, getting out of the problem and into a solution, and exceeding expectations to surpass the most unbelievable life we could ever imagine living. She leads by example. She’s an incredible inspiration, especially for (but certainly not limited to) females. Thank you, Tricia, Paula (Young), and the whole Trep School team!!! We love you. Thank you for making our dreams come true.”

You can learn more about the services STEP Recovery Center has to offer on their Facebook page.