Left Hand Laurel – Lawson and Suzanne Drinkard

Lawson and Suzanne Drinkard of Niwot put their energy into making sure members of Recovery Café are wrapped in the warmth of connection with others. Built upon the premise that recovery from challenges with addiction, homelessness, and mental health is made possible through a sense of belonging and being valued, Recovery Café Longmont (RCL) opened its doors a little over a year ago and the Drinkards were committed to support the impactful organization from the start.

"Being a part of a caring community is a foundation to recovery," Suzanne Drinkard said.

As members of CENTRALongmont Presbyterian Church, which three years ago made it a goal to bring Recovery Café to Longmont, the Drinkards were involved on the ground floor. CENTRALongmont Presbyterian Church also initiated the founding of OUR Center and St. Vrain Manor, two Longmont organizations providing basic services for those in need.

"Though we have different circumstances and paths in lives," Lawson said, "when it's all said and done, we're all the same, we're all people. I don't know anyone, including myself, who doesn't know somebody who has been affected by addiction of some sort."

Lawson volunteers at RCL in a few capacities -- as the vice president of the board of directors, as chairman of the philanthropy committee, and along with his wife Suzanne, as an RCL ambassador.

Ambassadors spend time with RCL members being in community, which is as simple as engaging in conversations about everyday life, movies, and interests, eating meals, and playing games together. Suzanne said her time is often spent crocheting with members, a skill taught to those at the Café by other volunteers.

"I enjoy everything I do with the Café, and the thing I enjoy most is being in community with our members," Lawson said.

The first Recovery Café opened in 2003. The philosophy and methods used have been so successful that there are now more than 20 locations in RC's nationwide network.

RCL members find both support and empowerment by engaging in "radical hospitality," described as always graciously welcoming everyone, and "loving accountability," where members help each other take each step needed to reach their true and best selves. Loving accountability includes the requirement that each member participate in a weekly recovery circle, peer-to-peer facilitated discussions around healing and recovery.

RCL's executive director Lisa Searchinger said, "In our first year of operation we served 274 unique guests, of whom 102 became members; provided 2,850 nutritious meals and 5,700 cups of coffee; hosted 83 School for Recovery classes (grief and loss, contemplative crochet, yoga, art, music), and 85 Recovery Circles; and were honored to be the recipient of 4,680 volunteer hours.

In recent surveys, every RCL member reported increased hopeful feelings, 87% said their housing situation has improved, 87% have found their coping skills are better, 100% report an improvement in their mental health, and every member said they feel a sense of belonging to the RCL community.

Before COVID, life at RCL was bustling with volunteers and members spending time together five days a week. In March, the Café closed, as did most everything. Members, staff, and volunteers connected using virtual formats over that time. When it was allowed, the Café reopened following CDC guidelines. As of November 20, the Café was once again forced to close in person contact. Searchinger said that since March, RC has connected virtually with 606 members for more than 4,200 minutes.

Even as the rollercoaster that is COVID continues, RCL was awarded a grant allowing the organization to hire a bilingual/bicultural staff member to better serve the large Latinx community of Longmont.

During the pandemic, Lawson (age 69) and Suzanne (70) have stepped back from activities that could potentially be risky, including going to RCL. So since March, Lawson has put his energy into his executive and public relations roles with RCL. As vice president of the board, he participates in making organizational decisions. On the philanthropy committee, Lawson engages the board and the community, along with RCL members and staff, in understanding the concept of RC. He also helps raise funds from individuals and businesses which keep the organization functioning.

Suzanne described one of the moments that affirm the importance of what RCL provides. "Last fall a volunteer guitarist and singer came to play for the members. She encouraged the audience to sing along and one member joined in as tears streamed down her face. She'd always wanted to be a part of a choir and this brought back long ago hopes and dreams."

"Pre-COVID, we had lots of stories of success," Lawson said. "People came, they were finding employment. They were making progress in their recovery, and then COVID hit."

The Drinkards have called Niwot home since 2013. The couple previously lived in Montana and Virginia, but Lawson attended CU for a bit and wanted to move back to the area. Lawson has had three careers -- beginning with architecture, then running a fundraising foundation at the University of Virginia, and his most recent career has been 25 years of being an organizational development consultant, which has been mostly curtailed due to the travel constraints of the pandemic.

Lawson helped to found the Building Goodness Foundation, a non-profit construction organization, in 1999, with projects in Virginia and Central America. Every year, Lawson organizes a team of riders for the Colorado MS150 bicycle ride to raise money in honor of his father who suffered from Multiple Sclerosis.

These days, he's part of the leadership at Central Longmont Presbyterian Church and along with other members of the congregation, participates in the "Burrito Ministry," which for many years has delivered breakfast burritos to five different day labor locations very early every Tuesday morning, helping to fuel workers for their day.

"I was raised in a family that gave back to the community, and that's part of who we are and what we do," Lawson said.

In addition to volunteering, Suzanne, whose career before retirement was as a high school health and physical education teacher, is also a gardener and quilter.

Given the uncertainty of the times, monetary donations are presently the best way in which to support Recovery Café. As allowed, more volunteers will be needed, and food and in-kind donations such as games, puzzles, etc. will be welcome. Please visit http://www.recoverycafelongmont.org for the most up-to-date information.