SHINE Recovery Café

08/18/2025

08/18/2025

Happy 2 year anniversary SHINE! ☀️ A very special THANK YOU to Griffith First Christian Church for making this year possible! Also a huge thanks to all of our community partners!

08/11/2025

2 Year Anniversary cookout Thursday 4-8pm
Come join us! 🥳

08/08/2025

We had a great time shinning at Day 1 of the Global Leadership Summit!

08/02/2025

Here until 1pm come check it out lots of great resources and tons of fun!

🎉 Join us today at the Community Health & Resource Fair! 🎉
📍 Location: Hanover Central High School, Cedar Lake, Indiana
⏰ Time: Starting at 9 AM
Come out for a day full of health resources, amazing vendors, and free prizes! Plus, we're giving away free backpacks! It's a fantastic opportunity to connect with your community and get valuable health info.
Don't miss out—see you there! 😊

08/01/2025

We had a wonderful time celebrating the life of Michelle. You will be missed but your memory will remain strong! ❤️

07/31/2025

Today we will celebrate the life of Michelle all are welcome 🤍

We invite you to join us as we celebrate the life of the beloved Michelle Mendez. All are welcome open to the public. Balloon release following service, dinner will be served.

07/30/2025

Thank you to Aonna Jones for hosting a paint and cavas for our social event this month! The arts are a big component of our recovery programming. Come visit us soon!

07/29/2025

07/24/2025

We’re so thankful to the Legacy Foundation for supporting us through the Resiliency grant! This grant allowed us to bring back our Member Resource Support program for individuals who are committed to their recovery! Recent budget cuts have impacted us all, but when we come together as a community we can continue to SHINE ☀️
Legacy Foundation 🫶🏽

07/18/2025

We’re excited to grow our team! Seeking highly motivated individual with Recovery & Management experience. Please share 😀

We're Excited to announce we're Hiring!! Please send resumes to shinerecoverycafe@gmail.com
PLEASE SHARE!
Recovery Café Summary: The Recovery Café is an inclusive, healing community where we believe we are all recovery
from something. Our recovery challenges may include substance use, mental health, depression, anxiety, loneliness,
grief/loss, trauma, overeating, overworking, homelessness, incarceration or anything that keeps us from thriving. We
believe we all deserve to be deeply known and loved, and that we all have unique gifts and talents needed by our
community. You are in recovery when you say you are, and ALL pathways of recovery are welcomed and supported at
Recovery Cafe.
Role Summary: The Café Manager has a deep understanding of the Café’s vision and works to nurture and maintain
our guiding principles. The Café Manager is responsible for assisting the Senior Café Manager with operations,
supporting members through peer recovery support programming, and assisting community volunteers and staff during
the hours when on duty.
Days and hours of operation: The Café is currently open on Tuesday & Thursday 4pm-8pm and Saturday from 10am-
2pm; the schedule of work will vary according to staffing needs. This person will work approximately 20-25 hours per
week on a regular basis.
The Café Manager roles and responsibilities are included, but are not limited to, the following:
 Oversight of Café Space
o Collaborate and oversee Floor Lead(s) (Member Leader/Community Volunteer Floor Lead).
o Oversight of meal prep, service and clean-up (with Member Leader Kitchen Lead).
o Provide focused peer support and serve as primary resource connector.
o Assist in onboarding new community volunteers and interns on internal Café logistics.
o Provide oversight to volunteers and interns who are serving as Café Companions.
o Monitor Member and guest behaviors to ensure the Café is creating a safe space for all.
o Ensure guiding principles are being upheld by all in the Café space.
o Assist in coordinating and facilitating daily Café activities.
 Provide peer support through program delivery.
o Facilitate Recovery Circles (1/week).
o Partner with organizations to lead satellite Recovery Circles (1-3/week)
o Encourage and promote Member participation in School for Recovery curriculum.
o Assist in creating and maintaining new community partner relationships as resource referrals for Members.
o Assist Members with identifying, creating and implementing a person-centered recovery plan.
o Provide 1:1 Support and Resource Referrals for Members.
 Identify and develop methods to assist with removing barriers to recovery.
 Develop empowerment and self-efficacy of Members to build recovery capital.
 Provide information and referrals to Members in need of recovery services.
 Recruit, engage, and support organizations and community members to provide peer recovery
support services.
 Promote the value of the full range of substance use treatment and recovery support services
throughout the county/state.
 Provide support that focuses on multiple pathways of recovery that supports the Member’s goals
and direction.

 Actively engage with the Recovery Café team.
o Attend Weekly 1:1 Supervision with Senior Café Manager.
o Attend Weekly Staff Meeting/Recovery Circles.
o Attend Weekly Recovery Circle consult.
o Participate in required staff trainings.
 Provide administrative support.
o Record Recovery Circle and School for Recovery attendance and provide to RHC immediately following the
circle/class.
o Submit weekly report
o Complete 1:1 check-in support document.
 Support team-wide effort to sustain a safe, welcoming environment.
o Embrace and promote the Cafés environment of radical hospitality
o Communicate and enforce Café guidelines, guiding principles and boundaries with loving accountability.
o Provide guidance for Members and volunteers in ensuring the Café remains clean and beautiful: clean-up of
the meal service counters and tables, trash/recycling removal, vacuuming, bathroom stocking and
maintenance, sweeping front sidewalk, the parking lot and area around the Cafe.

Required Qualifications:
 Must have strong interpersonal communications skills.
 Ability to consistently serve as a motivator, conflict resolver, and “de-escalator” for Members.
 Ability to work amicably on a diverse staff team with flexibility, creativity and enthusiasm.
 Proficiency in basic computer skills sufficient to communicate effectively with staff and other agencies using
Microsoft Word, Excel and email.
 Personal understanding of the recovery journey (not necessarily in recovery from substance use).
 Ability to embody principles of recovery in daily interactions.
 Strong desire to support individuals who are on the recovery journey.
 If the candidate has a history of substance use and/or mental health challenges, they must have at least one year of
continuous recovery.
 Capacity to be loving and to establish and maintain appropriate boundaries with Café patrons who at times may be
very challenging.
 Ability to lift 50 pounds.
 Non-slip shoes.
Minimum Education, Work and Skill Requirements:
 Education: Minimum of High School degree (or equivalent); years of experience in human service may be
substituted.
 Work Experience: 1-2 years& work experience in a position utilizing skills relevant to this position.
 Peer Recovery Coach or Certified Recovery Specialist Training or ability to attain within 30-60 days.
Additional Qualifications:
 Previous experience in a social service agency and with populations struggling with addiction and/or mental health
concerns.
 Mental health and/or addiction peer support experience.

07/18/2025

Please Join Us!! ✨

We're shining a light on all the amazing vendors at our Community Health and Resource Fair on August 2, 2025, at Cedar Lake's Hanover Central High School, and today, we're excited to introduce 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐟𝐞!
𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐟𝐞 is a community-based organization located in Griffith, Indiana, dedicated to supporting individuals on their recovery journeys.1 They are part of a larger national network of Recovery Cafes.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨:
SHINE Recovery Cafe provides a safe, inclusive, and judgment-free environment for people who are in recovery from various challenges, including:
• Substance use disorder
• Mental health issues (depression, anxiety, trauma)
• Loneliness, grief, and loss
• Homelessness
• Incarceration
• Other life difficulties that prevent individuals from thriving
Their core services and offerings are designed to foster healing, connection, and growth, operating on a "love-based recovery" model where all pathways to recovery are welcomed. Key aspects of their work include:
• 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬: These are peer-facilitated small groups that meet weekly. They are central to the Recovery Cafe model, providing a space for members to share challenges, receive support, and be held accountable for their well-being.
• 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬: They offer a variety of educational and skill-building classes on topics such as relapse prevention, nutrition, grief and loss, self-care, anger management, creative writing, financial self-management, and resume writing.
• 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 & 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: SHINE provides free coffee, tea, and hot meals, promoting connection and a sense of belonging among members. They also host sober social events.
• 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬: They help connect individuals with essential resources, including health services, food pantries, housing assistance, and treatment options. They also provide "warm hand-offs" to help individuals overcome barriers in accessing these services.
• 𝐂𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞: The physical space itself is designed to be a welcoming and supportive "home base" where members can connect with peers and receive support.
• 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐬: They offer a program that allows cafe patrons to bring their children (ages 3-12) to a separate area where they can participate in learning and arts activities and receive a meal. This helps parents access the cafe's services without childcare barriers.
• 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: SHINE also engages in outreach and provides transportation to further reduce barriers to access for those in need.
• 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤: Members are encouraged to contribute to the cafe community through service work, fostering a sense of ownership and giving back.

SHINE Recovery Cafe's mission is to create a loving community where members can gain access to resources, peer support, and education, ultimately learning to connect with themselves and others, and empowering them to reclaim their lives.