Recovery Cafe provides hope and stability for those struggling with addiction through recovery planning and long-term support in a place where everyone is loved and accepted. They are a recovery community of survivors who are changing their lives through love and compassion.
Recovery Café is located at 226 East Main Street. Their offices are open Monday through Thursday 9am – 5pm for peer support and help with resources. Recovery Circles, coffee, and dinner are held on Sundays at 4pm and Mondays and Tuesdays at 5pm.
Recovery Café invites individuals who want to be a part of a vibrant recovery community to become members. Membership is open to anyone who commits to being drug and alcohol free in the community space, participating in a Circle, giving back, and following the guiding principles. All services are free! Whether a person finds themself needing HELP or ready to provide HOPE, there is a place for everyone.
Recovery Café is a nationwide model, with 65 cafes across the nation. Funding generally comes from state and local grants and contracts, as well as community donors. Stephanie Mendenhall, Founder and Executive Director, brought the model to Medford in 2019.
It all started for Stephanie in 2015 when she met a homeless girl named Patti who was struggling with addiction and brought her into her home. This girl introduced Stephanie to other people with similar struggles.
In 2017, Stephanie was laid off after serving 22 years at Jackson County Health and Human Services. She was already helping Patti and friends and thought it would be a great idea to have a community recovery center here in Medford. She went to Seattle to visit the original Recovery Café and learn about the model. She came back convinced, and in 2019 she opened the Café in Rogue Organic Café in the off-hours when it was still a restaurant.
The Medford Recovery Café started with 45 members and five volunteers. It now has 265 members, 42 volunteers and 24 Recovery Circles. “We love meeting people where they’re at, and we don’t leave them there,” said Stephanie about the mission and growth of Recovery Café.
Brandon Orr, Recovery Café Manager, helps people get treatment and whatever else they need. “I am a resource broker,” he says. “The opposite of addiction in connection,” says Brandon about the Recovery Circles, where people meet weekly with the same 10 people for sharing and support.
During June and July of 2023, with help from a grant from AllCare Health, Stephanie worked with contractors to completely remodel the former restaurant. The brick walls, a lot of white wood, and new furniture have made the space gorgeous and inviting.
Stephanie loves the downtown location. “It is close to five or six of the 16 Oxford House sober living homes in the area. A lot of members don’t drive and it’s close to the RVTD Transfer Station. It’s within walking distance of so many resources the members need,” said Stephanie.
Recovery Café is proud to be a DMA partner. “DMA has done a good job of keeping us involved even though we are not a typical business,” said Stephanie.
“The one thing I would like to see DMA accomplish is to get sidewalks and alleys cleaned up,” said Brandon.
More information is available on the Reclaiming Lives / Recovery Café website, by calling 541-326-1233, or stopping by the Café.
