By Angela Morefield
Have you ever wondered what goes on in the mind and world of a person who has been physically or sexually abused? Have you ever found yourself wondering how an addict can get out of that place of desperation to thrive? David Storvick and his wife, Amber are giving these people new hope and a clean future.
148 Wellness in Greenwood was created from 148 Ministries, a nonprofit mission to help abused and addicted men and women. “The 148 in our name comes from 1 Timothy 4:8, which says, For physical training is of some value but Godliness has value in all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come,” said David, pastor and director of 148 Ministries. The underlying mission of 148 Ministries is to share the love of Christ with people.
The couple started their ministry after Amber took a mission trip to Cambodia. Amber had been a personal trainer and participated in a program helping women that were pulled out of sex trafficking. She knew she wanted and needed to do something for the people that are in need locally. The Storvicks prayed and decided that using fitness and faith to help those in need were what God wanted them to do.
An all-in-one wellness ministry
148 Wellness was created to allow people to have a place where they can create change all in one place. It is an “all-in-one” wellness center. Part of the profits from 148 Wellness goes toward helping the nonprofit organization and supporting its mission at 148 Ministries.
148 Wellness brings together physical, spiritual and behavioral wellness in its approach to heal sexual and physical abuse, addiction and other mental health issues. Clients can take advantage of a fully equipped gym with an exercise center, changing rooms and lockers 24 hours a day. Gym memberships and services are open to the public 24 hours a day, and they will gain access whenever they want to work out with a key fob entry system. Clients can participate in services such as semi-private training, group fitness classes, rehabilitation exercise and movement-centered therapy.
Clients are offered faith-based counseling for behavioral health issues such as addiction, and they may attend small Bible study groups. They may also spend time with a trainer, a physical therapist and even a pastor if needed.
148 Wellness includes a full-service gym with rowing machines, free weights and equipment focused on functional fitness. An area is also set aside for counseling, with its own separate entrance to ensure privacy. A conference room is available for small groups, workshops and activities. At the entrance of the facility is a lounge and coffee room where people can meet, take advantage of free Wi-Fi to work, or just relax. “Brickhouse Coffee is partnering with us at 148 Wellness to provide its locally roasted coffee for us to enjoy,” David said.
A welcoming environment for everyone
Above the coffee bar hangs a handmade prayer board made by David for people to hang their prayers. “We wanted to create an environment where people feel welcome, where they’re not just walking into a bunch of exercise equipment,” he added.
There are different membership levels available, ranging from basic gym memberships to packages that include group classes, semi-private training and an app that provides workouts and helps people stay accountable to their exercise routine. Family and corporate memberships are also available.
In addition to membership fees to use the gym and receive other services, 148 Wellness is also starting a sponsorship program. “People can help sponsor the men and women who go through their residential programs for addiction or other issues. In doing so, they then have access to the different services available at 148 Wellness,” David said.
More than just a gym
The Storvicks partnered with Chris Walker, who formed 148 LLC to handle rehabilitation and is the owner of 148 Wellness. Walker, a certified personal trainer, provides physical rehabilitation to clients and those in need. Walker approached the Storvicks in 2018 with the idea to have a place that promoted physical fitness but was more than just a gym.
“I wanted a space where people could improve their health but not focus on weight loss or make it about looks,” Walker said. “That’s what 148 Ministries is about. I loved what they were doing. Their mission and our goal was the same.”
The Greenwood-based organization joins Volunteers of America Friday nights at VOA’s headquarters in downtown Indianapolis, offering exercise classes, biblical counseling and works with women who have been trapped in addiction or sex trafficking as they hope to get their lives back on the right track. The workouts help with easing the women’s tension and nervousness.
The Storvicks have seen the transformative power of their ministry in Johnson County.
“It’s a missing piece here,” Amber said. “The opioid epidemic in this city in particular demands that you have to break ties with old friends, and a lot of times, family. That’s difficult to impossible to do. We wanted to create a space where they can come, talk to us, work out, in a place that’s safe. They can work on healing their body and healing their mind.”
The ministry provides programming for several residential centers for people struggling with addiction, abuse and other issues. In addition to working with Volunteers of America, they’ve done programs at the Hope Center, which focuses on helping sex-trafficked victims, and Teen Challenge in Lebanon, working with teen girls dealing with addiction and other problems.
For the Storvicks and Walker, the opportunity to work in the Greenwood community, providing a service that is desperately needed, is overwhelming.
“It’s something that is missing. You have your big gyms, your small studios, physical therapy and counseling. But there’s not a place where you can get everything at once in one place,” Walker said. “We each had our own talents, and we brought them all together.”
For more information please visit their website at 148wellness.com or their Facebook page.
