When the Recovery Café opened its doors in the Church of the Ascension in January 2025, it filled a large void created by the loss of the local emergency shelter and a decline in available resources in Frankfort, Kentucky, In just over seven months, Recovery Café has positively impacted the lives of 72 people through recovery coaching, support groups, life skills classes, and spiritual and social engagement and empowerment. Frequent visitors of the Recovery Café obtain free membership, and with that, an opportunity to give back through community service at the café.
Recently, the Recovery Café hosted Cordata’s O2SL & QRT National Deflection Academy training, a community-wide event to bring awareness to addiction and deflection initiatives. Recovery Café partnered with Frankfort Police Department (FPD), Wings of Hope Quick Response Team (QRT), Franklin County Agency for Substance Abuse Policy (ASAP), and Expree Credit Union to bring over 30 agencies together for this event. The goal will be to increase addiction awareness in the community and bolster interagency collaboration for improved overdose response and family support efforts. As Shelley Hearn, a community policing advocate for FPD, was quoted as saying, “Overdose deaths have decreased over time, but still, one is too many. If we can make contact and support one person, then it will be worth it.”
The State Journal – Honoring Humanity – Recovery Café Offering a Safe Place for People to Heal