This week I would like to comment on a very IMPORTANT ISSUE that is facing our community. The Victory Outreach Center that may be locating in Lower Midtown St. Helens.  This organization is NOT sanctioned by the State of Oregon and is considered to be nothing more than a cult. After doing a fair bit of research and reading the testimonials of ministers and others who had previously worked for the organization it is apparent that this rehab institution is nothing as it is portrayed.
The high-pressure pan handling operations that Victory Outreach uses is very similar to that of the Krishna movement that had plagued the United States for many years. Victory Outreach also simulates the Manson movement where the residents are not allowed to talk, leave, or do any of the normal activities that human being consider their right. They cannot leave the establishment with out the sole permission of the designated leader of the group.
The residents are forced to swear complete allegiance to "the vision."  The followers or Victory Outreach are expected to lay their lives down for their pastor, who in turn is laying his life down for their "bigger Vision." The "vision," whatever that may be, "United We Can," or any other dream or vision that the leadership has had from God, will always have priority.
Each resident MUST pledge sole loyalty to the center, or a better term is absolute devotion.  They must constantly work and donate all of their money to the leadership, whether it is pan handling, odd jobs or a more structured community fundraisers. Many of the residents are shipped from city to city, state-to-state to participate in major Victory Outreach money raising activities.
The money that they collect keep high-ranking Outreach ministers in Rolex watches, diamond rings, and BMW's. 
This does not sound like a spiritual and loving rehab center. It sounds more like a cult that prays upon the troubled and confused. Victory Outreach leaders are exploiting people with drug addictions and other mental and social problems to fill their wallets, and to keep them in a life style that only the filthy rich are accustomed to. Shameful.
To allow this kind of organization to establish itself in our city is troubling, but to allow them to establish themselves across the street from Lewis and Clark grade school is outrageous! The safety and well being of our children are at risk. Columbia County has its own problems with meth. To bring meth addicts into Columbia County from other areas will only add to our own drug crisis. Our low funding for the appropriate departments will be squeezed even tighter.  This will place an even  further burden on our police, shelters, crisis unit's, as well as our food bank. This organization will add to the already high medical costs for people incarcerated in our county jail.
I do not believe that we should stand idly by and allow this kind of organization to fester into our community.  Please educate yourselves about Victory Outreach and the way they go about rehabilitating their residents, and the way they use and abuse communities where they establish themselves.
Remember meth addicts will do anything in order to get a fix for their addiction; lets stop a potential crime against children and the community before it happens.