The quonset hut located on Douglas Avenue was built to be the home of the American Legion. Today, it serves another purpose as “The Well,” a place devoted to the help and support of those with drug related problems. It is the brainchild of Tommy Quick, who pastors at Dogwood Hills Assembly of God Church.

“The Well is a totally separate entity on its own,” Quick said. “Although Dogwood Hills is one of our best supporters, it is not the only one.

“We are not under the control of any one church, but I don’t mind telling you it is rooted deep in God,” he said. “I sometimes see and hear drug recovery programs that refer to a ‘higher power,’ but we make no bones about it; we believe that higher power is Jesus Christ.”

The Well is open to those who are trying to recover from any drug or alcohol addiction. They have programs each week on Tuesday that are meant to help those attending to cope with the many problems drug abuse brings.

“We don’t force anyone to do anything,” Quick said. “We share the truth with those who come, but we don’t force it on them. We invite them to step out of the darkness and step into the light. Each success story is worth it and we celebrate all recoveries.”

Quick has also set up a place near the church, called The Quest House, which is a sort of half-way house for those who are ready to find a fit back into society after drug abuse.

Prisons all over the country are having rough times. They are all filled to capacity and more. The inmates are all crowded together and don’t have much chance of rehabilitation. They need places to get together in support of recovery and Quick said that is what they offer at The Well.

The quonset hut offers a large facility for gatherings and includes a wrap-a-round porch that is capable of holding large meetings.

“There are plenty of people in prison who deserve to be there,” Quick said. “But there are so many who are not bad people, they just have made mistakes and wrong choices in their lives. The problem is that there are so many that need our help.”

Quick was born and raised in Columbia, S.C. He was adopted by his aunt and she raised him in a Christian home. He said he knew at a young age that he wanted to go into the ministry.

In 1980, he left South Carolina and traveled down to Pensacola, Fla. where his brother was stationed in the military.

“There, I began to feel the pull of God in my life and I recommitted myself to the Lord in May of 1980,” he said.

In 1986 he married his wife, Jenny, who was in one of his youth classes. He said that she was the best thing in his life. They would have four daughters and seven grandchildren, so far. Over the next few years the family made several moves in Florida and in the spring of 1998 he moved to Brewton where he worked at Cornerstone Church.

After two years at Cornerstone, he became the preacher at Dogwood Hills Church of God in 2000. He continues to tend to his flock there while at the same time devoting himself to The Well and his ministry at Century Corrections.

“We won an award from the Florida Alcohol Drug Abuse Association for our work at Century,” he said. “I am really proud of the award.”