Building Hope: Anthony Eaton’s Journey with Recovery Cafe and the Power of Community Support

Hey, welcome back to another episode. It’s a great Monday to talk about drug prevention. You’re listening to the drug prevention Power Hour, and I’m your host, Jake White. And today I’m hanging out with Anthony Eaton. And Anthony has started something called the Recovery Cafe. And we got connected I was really, really interested in what he’s doing. And I think just creativity and innovation in our space should be celebrated. So enjoy this call that I have with Anthony getting to know him and learning all about what he’s up to. Hey, Anthony, how’s it going?

I’m good man, how are you?

I’m good. It’s been a, it’s a good day to be in Phoenix, right?

Yeah right. But it’s warm in Melbourne. It knows 100 degrees now.

Yeah. It’s true. It’s true. What what area of the valley are you in?

Or we’re in Chandler, so right on on Swan Valley on southwest corner.

Okay, very cool. Awesome. Thank you. I’m over at Grand Canyon University.

Oh, nice. So I was out. What did your being benefactors Jerry Carangelo was the keynote speaker for the grace. Amazing grace, in this past Saturday. At the built ward was it was an incredible event map. 

Wow. Okay. My, um, so actually one of my coaches, his name’s John Hunter. He he was a part of that as well. I heard it was a great turnout, like 800 people there. Yeah, it was. It was incredible  and it’s all about like helping out the recovery community, right and raising fund.

100 % so I don’t know if you know a bit about the story. So Jimmy Walker, who is a a very big philanthropist here in the valley, probably one of the biggest life insurance writers in the nation. And he’s been incredibly successful. I’ve dabbled, he’s taken that SAS and moved it into just a bunch of incredible causes. And this cause that night was set up for was for grace, sober living, which is in Christian base. So a living non profit company that has seven different homes. And it was all established in the name of this son’s struggle like now many of us do with addiction and alcoholism. And three days before his son passed away from a fentanyl overdose. He had jotted down on paper is notes and his thoughts on creating a sober living company that wasn’t or product that wasn’t focused on money strictly there to help keep wound recovered. And unfortunately, she went back out a few days later. Now the good bad, no upset at all and lost. And so his family gathered together his sister, his mom and his dad. And they’ve started grid sober living under his name. And it’s now grown to seven halls. And they’re having a just an incredible impact on folks that are struggling with addiction and alcohol. It’s either the alcoholism here in the bout, yeah, yeah. out a bit out a big concert, bring y’all out a big panel discussion with some speakers from across the state work in the world of recovery. Or one guy from Tucson, which has helped over 9000 people recover. Now, I was pretty incredible.

Transforming Recovery and the Mission of the Recovery Cafe Network

Wow, that is incredible. I didn’t know that story, either. So thank you for sharing that with me. Yeah, and I would love to, by the way, I didn’t tell you this, but I think so. We’re recording. I know, you said you’re cool with being on the podcast. So as far as I’m concerned, we’re going we’re in it like we’re talking. So I would love to hear more about you, man. Like what is this stuff you’re working on? And kind of what’s your what’s your short story and and why you got into this work with the recovery cafe?

Well, first, you know, what I’d like to do is kind of start off with like a Cliff’s Notes version of the history of the recovery capital. So the first Recovery Cafe was established up in Seattle back in 2004, turning their huge heroin and homelessness. And they recognized gap in the world and I read you being in this world. I’m sure you’re well aware of this that most insurance companies are got a from making 30 60 90 days treatment, that we get pushed out plummets. If you look at the national averages out there with regards to the relapse rates, then years post treatment. They’re just hard work. Even more so for folks that have no access to any kind of treatment whatsoever. So the first recovery cafe was established in that yeah, provide folks in kind of accountability and community they would receive in a treatment setting we will charge for as long as we are a 501C three, all of our services and amenities are provided 100% for each work. That being said, there are 3 areas that we provide workable recoveries. As a member of the year, you receive one on one weekly recovery coaching sessions with a CRC, certified recovery coach. So we’re all trained in active listening, motivational, interviewing etc. we’ve got nine of neuropathol add ons. On top of that, we do what’s called our arc boot recovery sessions. These are very much like a process. So you talk about what we’re celebrating for the week. What struggle anywhere that we pick a discussion chocolate, so it is an open discussion format, as opposed to wide, a narrow cross talking about now, I myself and I’m much Worldstar errs on the recovery. My homework is two miles down the road. We’re at the texts of meetings, we’ve run gear a lot, much more similar to wider process. The third option that Bibles call our schools are a cover. This covers a broad range of topics. So I myself I teach meditation class every Saturday morning at 10. I’ve got my buddy Greg, who is actually investing here. He’s a PhD neuroscientist, teaches a class called Addiction in the brain. So science behind what’s going on up here from the actions that we do things like yoga, or tai chi, not practices. Sounds UA, I’ve got my friend back Christina Lombardo coach. She is she’s freshness with the object different health and wellness classes that we do things like art, gone basic budgeting, I’m working with the FDA out here on the east valley called Love data recovery. There are sober living couple of us well, and their operations manager here. All right, that’s development class that helps monks how to reintegrate back into the world as they’re getting into recovery. Some of the basics know a lot of us as we’re active in our addiction or alcoholism, let a lot of things go in the weights. So now sometimes they need to go get a new driver’s license or state ID work, they need help applied for EBT card or getting a copy of them to worse associates or meet so what they’re doing is they they come in to get laptops in the gap and do a class and they actually help the folks through that process to get those those things rolling through whatever avenues they can online. Wow. On top of that, we’re natural coffee shop. So when our man has not been gravel outside or didn’t get into challenge so Opitz Val iced coffee, all other witches spring then we also have a full service commercial kitchen so we provide meals as well. So you take the community that we provide from a coffee shop wheels long with the support from the coaching. Yeah, school for recovery and then recovered circles and nuts really bet the secret sauce why? This has had so much success and now you have 65 locations of the recovery cafe across nine states. And we’ve got over 20,000 active members now we’re working together to help each other meet not a lot of habit. And when I say recovery, it’s really everything under the umbrella. You’ve got folks recovering from alcoholism, addiction TSD childhood trauma, gambling, eating disorders, mental health issues you name honor all cap weights. So now on the addiction and alcoholism side we’ve got getting rid of beer that are AC na and ca c m&e Celebrate Recovery. Well, right is smart recovery. And we got a good amount of folks, well, that never really identified, we’re going to do the 12 step based programs, and they use the cafe exam. And that is the cafe in a nutshell. I’ll tell you a little bit about myself on journey like that.

And I need before before we jump in real quick because this sounds awesome. Yeah, it’s so cool. And like you said, it’s it’s a real real need. That isn’t necessarily, like evident on in the spectrum of recovery and what we assume people, Hey, your basic need for recovery is this. We need to get you in treatment. But there’s that space that was left out that the Recovery Cafe is filling. And I’m thinking as like, you know, one of our listeners, they’re they’re working in recovery or in prevention in different areas across the country. How can they find out if there’s a recovery Cafe they like in their area, they’ll have a website or something.

Yeah, yeah, the recovery Cafe network, we move out and write all the front page. There’s how us, then house pins everywhere that there are cafes.

Awesome and is it? I’m assuming with so many locations that if there’s there’s not a location that you partner with people to help create a new a new spot. 

That’s exactly what the cafe network does is they’ve created this cookie cutter essentially. And now they’re changing that and utilizing it and creating your cafes all across. 

From Struggle to Service at the Recovery Cafe

Wow, okay, cool. Yeah. So that’s, that’s awesome. So yeah, Anthony, how did? How did you get into this? 

Yeah, yeah one thing I didn’t mention, as well as how to become a member. So membership here, really easy commitments. First, we got to walk through our door solver. Second is you’ve got to commit to coming to your weekly recovery circle each week. And then the third is to give back. We say give back it’s being of service to the cafe’s, so nothing from a financial side. I’ve got members who volunteers as baristas in the coffee shop, and we put that through a old will restore training. So they get to read data, and throw that out in their resume, go get hired at Starbucks processor, heat, that we have members of volunteer at the front desk, leaders, I’ve got a crew that sticks around outside of days after our member days, and cleans up the bowl cafe. And as long as they maintain those, those three commitments, they can take part of the Cafe, whatever they’d like. So we’re open Tuesday through Saturday, nine to four. Now, one of the things that we see a lot of in our community is folks that are into recovery, they’re part of South kind of 12 step based programs, you’ve got a lot of sponsors and sponsors eats you know, instead of going to Starbucks, dropping 20 bucks on coffees, they didn’t come here get a coffee free in an environment sake. And all sober individuals working together to call each other which is what I divide out to sponsor. I’ve got four options right now, we do all our step work. And it’s it’s nice because so many of us in recovery know, obviously we don’t go to bars or crowded nightclubs, some of us can’t even go to restaurants, which trigger this place provides that spot for us to come to right bread grab a coffee the social and get together which is unlike anything I’d ever experienced in my journey. So my my journey started back in 2011 I was the first time that I finally was able to admit to myself that I had a problem now and I went you know I did it after when so I went to some a meeting saw counselor for a little while and I’m told by both by friends and by counseling it a little bit getting into treatment. I was again I’ll about about a year and in and I was like I’m cure I lasted about two and a half years and I wasn’t I had no add no foundation, I had no fellowship, and I ended up relapse went back out and get some research for about eight months and then decided to come back into the wall that lookout rooms so I didn’t know that we will get a treatment I went to like a treatment program and then else that I was period and bounced out and came back into the rooms of recovery. And this time around I lasted almost seven years but I went down that seeds cycle. So you know I would get to a point where I felt comfortable. I was at a good mental headspace and I don’t need this treatment stuff anymore. I don’t need to be a part of the recovery fellowship. No. Letting that ego there start running the show. Seven years pass and COVID hits I just uncle again the isolation. And this time out. I was out for about 10 months I had a college she ended up in the hospital at the end of that 10 months, half of my debt. And I disabled Ben in there. Okay, I’m going to give this thing another shot. So I’ll work back into treatment. So you’ll notice I’m going through this same cycle that we go through the world of recovery Where are sober, go be treatment then lapse overland treatment. laughs cycle. That’s what I will do. Now last year I’ll be dirt right and I broke for two days and open was different. Just didn’t make me feel that actually just worse. Woke up that third morning. Hello were riddled with anxiety. Just I really hope I finally get that in soon. If I was willing to give up my ego I can scroll to the suggestions that had been beaten or so last decade, girl Judas things bright, Li connected and not in constant contact with my higher power which I choose to call God. And I went back through the 12 steps, I went through a control like full treatment programs like huge denial, five, I would be one go. And shortly after stepping out a treatment, or a year, I was walking to rear dropping, and I happen to stumble whorls out saw the sign on the wall, I’ll cover this way now. So I bow my head of the biller, honored dentists, Serbia, and we had a founders of this cap, they also established FA up to Washington, the sixth applicant. And they proceeded to give me a tour walk me through that same story that I just told you guys the history of the outfit. And the first thing I said, you know, when they were all about all star, Oh, can’t be forgotten. So let’s couch. And, and they’re like, there’s no cats. There’s no caps. I said, Okay. All right. So I dove headfirst and I met with my coach, every single week, I went to my circle every week, went to the class that I could go to, I started giving back by junior meditation class and this recovery was, was that missing link or and when I get when I talk about it, I get the chills. This was really, truly what I was missing my childhood power. And it pairs beautifully. Well, when I do on a 12 step perspective on the spirituality side, and be a part of my life’s work forever. Now I was fortunate enough that we’ll meet once the head of the board right when you went and sat me down, it went live professional history. And they asked, I’m the Operations Manager, allow you to hear and hear just go I just accepted the executive director role, which I’d start off, make first. And I get to be of service every day and what I do now, and I get you, you’re part of the fellowship and help create a community of folks here that I my experience and whatnot. So I’ve done a lot of research this time and still on the dreaded years inside on the covers, spoke to all these spoiled said hat and 23rd and 40 L I know folks that have 60 years of Spry, what are the main components out? They became part of a fellowship, or which meeting whatever I was in another thing out of this cafe provided. And it’s been an incredible ride. It’s been amazing. And we are looking forward to the year and I had reached out to you and wanted to chat with you about it as well to donate it and help us spread the word about this cafe’s get it out. That’s your benefit.

Sustaining Sanctuary: Funding and Community Support at the Recovery Cafe

Yes, well, first of all, congratulations to I mean, you got a job at this place, you know frequenting there, and now are being becoming the executive director. And that’s something to that, I think there’s a lot of nuances when you have this, you have this place that’s incredible, like a recovery cafe. And people go there for sanctuary for community, fellowship for healing, and you look at it. And you’re probably like, I cannot believe I get to do this as a job like this, building this and creating this is so fulfilling. On the other hand, it’s it has to sustain some way. So being someone who also is, you know, the, quote, CEO of a movement and an organization. I’m always curious about funding, like, how how do you provide this at no cost for people and you know, maybe only donations, how it how is this sustained at all your locations?

That’s a great brunch. So we do funding through both different albums. We just filed for federal grants here a couple of weeks ago, about a month ago, dropped the grant, you Chandler here at the end of last year, we did a fund raising event actually Alice, bingo for us at bat and just got a clue for the tax credits. So we’re gonna be rolling out a campaign on that. You have a lot of community outreach. And then on top of that, why it’s kitchen was well, so we’re licensed virtual kitchen. You lease that out as an IRS kitchen and Commissary Kitchen, who trouble or owners to also generate revenue, not thinking so it’s, we’re going after times.

Wow, okay. That’s awesome. Do just because of proximity and what you’re doing. Do you know the team over at full circle?

Yeah, it’s at Roswell. He’s been here multiple times they do sort of what they do is very similar to what we do here minus cafe.

Innovation, Community, and Fundraising: Building a Movement with the Recovery Cafe

Right. And they’re more centered on on teenagers as well. I know. So yeah, instantly, I’m like, you probably have met each other. But if not, you guys definitely needed to go. That’s, that’s great. And then I’ll talk to you after the show. There’s someone else I want you to meet as well, who is just doing great, great, great things being the food truck and traveling and helping people in, you know, who are incarcerated, and just going out and helping people. And it’s, yeah, I think you guys would hit it off as well. But for, I just want to say this, because you’re the organization that you have, you mentioned a lot of different fundraising strategies. And I want to pull them out, because our listeners, a key thing is sustainability. So oftentimes, they start out with a grant. And it’s like minimal, it pays for a couple of staff members, and then maybe a few things of programming and some research. But the the thing is the grant will end right, like a grant will end at some point. And so having those other things that you’ll have is really, really creative, like utilizing the kitchen, like going after the Arizona tax credit, and then having these large scale events. So I do want to pull this out from you, because I bet you, you might have some cool insights of the different areas where you look at maybe the pie of fundraising, what are the what are the biggest, most successful areas of fundraising? And then I’d love to ask you for a tip of Yeah, how can other people be successful in doing that so that they can keep doing the great work they’re doing like you guys are?

Well, I would say, from a fundraising standpoint, the most successful were definitely gala events. So creating events that are around. Now what you’re doing, it’s celebrating and bringing yet l folks like Alice Cooper, who has been in recovery for 14 years now, having them share in store, as well as connecting in with the media itself. So on top of ticket sales for the event table sales event, then we had a large silent auction where we went out, got all kinds of different things to bid on. That was incredibly successful. And I would say in those kinds of events, gotta have at your dams. We had an incredible MC, her name is Mary Jo west. So she was use anchor gear in the valve lab for years. Just an amazing job lens event for us. And then it’s about having no speaker. So I personally went up and I shared my experience. We had Bob. It’s part of the Wallis and loudmouth show I don’t know, though you would not share the ballot and years ago, children’s show. And so brought in, he was actually one without birth prior to getting those kind of out there. So when you’re moaning the advance, you’re able to generate much foot traffic and brand new books that are willing to start with checkbook.

That’s so cool. I. So I love I love a couple of things about what you said. And it’s number one is just the whole story of innovation and finding a need and filling it. As someone who started throwing, you know, drug free events and parties for college students and younger students. It was like, the question was, hey, if I’m not going to use drugs and drink, how am I going to be social? And so answering that question was really powerful, like a powerful motivator. And so to see how the recovery Cafe has identified this, this niche that’s not been filled yet, and is going all in to fill it, but to having different events that like what you just said, bringing in the community and going out into the community. So like, I mean, you’re showing up at different stores and shops and at a different people in the community to invite them to be a part of it. And I think that’s the, that’s the hard work of building a movement that not everybody wants to do. But not only is it it’s hard work, but it’s also really, really fun work and really fulfilling work because if you have that personality of someone like yourself, who’s an executive director or anybody who has the outgoing personality Like that is the thing that I probably missed the most, from fundraising and doing all that stuff is just inherently all the incredible people that you get to meet and hear their stories, find out why they’re actually passionate about what you’re doing, and then giving them a chance to be a part of it. So if someone’s listening, and you’re scared of fundraising, I’m just gonna say this, you never know who on the, on the other side of a store table, or a phone call, or a coffee table is aching to be of service to your organization, like if given the chance, and if knowing what you’re doing, they would love to help because they’ve got this thing inside, where they know they want to impact the world. But they don’t have your platform, they don’t have your skills, they don’t have your grant. And they’re looking to partner up with somebody. So I hope somebody listening needed to hear that and you can make that phone call today. Or you can show up to that person today. Or just be fearless on who you ask and who you tell your story to.

Creating Community: The Power of Social Events in Recovery and Prevention Efforts

What I would add to that, you know, you got to be okay with rejection. And it’s numbers. No, it’s just gotta keep making calls. You got to utilize such as the tools gotta just got to get out your file that was diamond, rough and up turn into just credible. Now, it never hurts.

Yeah, absolutely. I want to we’re getting close to the half or so want to ask you this. Anthony, if people want to get a hold of you, and like they love this, right? They’re like, this actually sounds really cool. I want this in my community. What’s the best place to go. And then just any other call to action, if there’s ways that we can support anything like that, please point us in the right direction.

So our directory straight to our website, which is the Recovery Café Valley of the Sun and it’s got a full calendar of events. So one thing you have mentioned that you created were social events. That’s one thing that we’re doing here as well. So a week from this Friday where an app here to Garrett’s gonna be open, like slam poetry and music. So we’ve got thoughts coming in and, and just being so thought partner with Mikewrap up Phoenix, I’m not sure if you’re already with bow. So ballots, so you live nonprofit that does nothing but the social activities, cupboard, a lot of it is centered around exercise. So IPA, you know, a new day group. But she did. He had a sober concert here. Green in Scottsdale, about three, four months ago, we’d like to be ever boots down, shut down the bar everything just as one should folks in recovery, join some good music getting out there being social. And it’s about letting folks know that no need alcohol and drugs to go out son can do all these same things. And how my opinion, way more fun and remember that stuff. And now it’s, it’s it’s a totally different situation now. But yeah, could check out a website value. Every Cafe valet the sun does want to shoot me an email at the Contact Me button on there, I’ll be able to pick that one call out and get involved. It’s fun, I tell you what, for me it’s enable to be a part which you ever powering. And all with all the walks of life and recovering, I didn’t go to it. You’ve all year all of us celebrate all getting these great groups back here get to intermingle with all, you know, and then be also sitting next a little better. That started yesterday, and we’ll go our title out of PE  teacher harboring some sampling. Now it’s a very, uh, collected.

So that’s fantastic. Thank you, Anthony, so much for being on the show. And for everyone listening. Thank you for listening to another episode of the drug prevention power hour where we empower leaders in youth drug prevention, and listen, whether you’re in primary prevention, secondary or tertiary. We’re all working together for the same mission running in the same direction. So again, we can do so much better together. Keep asking questions, keep meeting incredible people and doing the awesome work that you’re doing every single day. Because you might not see it today or tomorrow, but you’re changing lives. And just like Anthony’s stories shared, it could take a decade until you see the fruit of this. But look at the tree that sprouting from that fruit like this is incredible. So let’s see you next Monday for another episode.