RECOVERY CAFE DC
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Mission Statement
Recovery Café DC is a healing, transformative recovery community for all who have been traumatized by addiction and other mental health challenges, homelessness and incarceration.
About This Cause
Recovery Café DC (RCDC), based in Ward 8 in Southeast DC, believes that everyone is in recovery from something. RCDC creates a healing, transformative recovery community that seeks to support people traumatized by addiction, mental health challenges, homelessness, incarceration, or other issues to move from isolation to community healing. The RCDC model includes a welcoming, drug and alcohol-free space that offers loving accountability through regular Recovery Circles. The circles are membership-based, rather than drop-in, where Members build a peer-to-peer community of support in which each person is valued and empowered to discover their full potential. This regular format supports Members’ ability to establish and maintain long-term recovery, build resiliency and quality of life. Recovery Circles are supplemented by School for Recovery classes. These classes address the emotional, spiritual, and physical dimensions of recovery through a variety of offerings, such as Art, Body and Movement; Prayer; and Grief and Loss. In a context where individuals with limited resources encounter many difficulties in accessing social and/or health services, there is a tremendous need for the programming that RCDC provides. Our model is based on incorporating four types of social support: These include: * Emotional Support – demonstrating empathy, caring, and concern for a person’s self-esteem; * Informational Support – sharing knowledge and information to provide life and/or vocational training; * Instrumental Support – providing concrete assistance to help people accomplish tasks; and * Affiliational support – facilitating contacts with other people to promote learning of social skills, create community, and instill a sense of belonging. (Cobb, 1976; Salzer, 2022). In addition, RCDC’s model is also committed to incorporating and aligning programming with the ten identified components identified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for successful recovery programs. These include: Self Direction, Individualized and Person-centered, Empowerment, Holistic, Non-Linear, Strengths-based, Peer Support, Respect, Responsibility, and Hope. Recovery Café DC is committed to bridging the gap in DC that has resulted in a 21-year life expectancy difference between Northwest DC neighborhoods (89 years) and Southeast DC neighborhoods (68 years). The causes of these gaps are well known. The lack of safe and affordable housing is just one of these causes. RCDC is working to reduce the glaring gap in Southeast DC through a collaboration with the Anacostia Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) to construct our "permanent" location at 1337 Marion Barry Ave., SE. The first steps toward building began process began in last Sept 2024 and we expect that by early 2025, RCDC will open a beautiful new building that will provide a fully operational café setting with expanded program spaces, and four stories of deeply affordable rental housing. Another challenge perpetuating the "gaps" in resources and experience include the difficulties Members face as they try to access services to support their reintegration to the community. Recovery Café DC has a robust network of resource partners with whom we collaborate to ensure that Members can connect with resources. These include health-based organizations; employment supports; mental health and counseling services; transitional housing for those returning from incarceration; and more. In summary, we teach and model ways for people to manage mental health, maintain sobriety, and build community. Recovery Café DC is providing crucial support to men and women determined to rebuild their lives, and we commit to walking with them every step of the way. We hope you will join us!