Austin, Texas has a very large and active community of people in recovery from addiction. Not surprisingly, there are several Austin-based social enterprise businesses and organizations that also do their part to support people in recovery.
If supporting local Austinites in recovery is important to you, there are plenty of ways you can get involved. Whether it’s buying products from a company that uses half of its profits to fund sober living scholarships or supporting a yoga studio that offers donation-based recovery yoga classes, here are five cool organizations in Austin you should know about.
Practice Yoga Austin
Practice Yoga Austin is a donation-based yoga studio on 6th Street that offers several different types of classes, including alignment-based yoga, vinyasa, mindful yoga, yin yoga, and a partner dancing playshop. The studio also offers a recovery yoga class, with special emphasis on the principles of the 12-step program.
The classes, taught by Jacob Groomer, a certified yoga teacher and recovering addict, are designed to help people develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the recovery process through the practice of yoga. Classes are open to anyone, whether they’re in recovery or not.1
These recovery yoga classes are an ideal way for sober living residents in Austin to get some exercise, meet other people in recovery, and manage stress while transitioning into a life of sobriety. Suggested donations for classes are $10 to $20.
MHD Enterprises
The mission of MHD Enterprises is “to recreate value and rethink life” by taking used IT equipment and recycling, reselling, or refurbishing it. This multi-million-dollar Austin company was founded by recovering heroin addict Michael Dadashi, a chronic relapser who decided to focus his efforts on helping others stay sober by hiring recovering alcohol and drug addicts to keep his business operating.
According to his company’s website, MHD Enterprises is extremely successful and brought in $7 million of revenue in 2012. Dadashi also regularly speaks at rehab centers in the Austin area to encourage other people in their own personal journeys to recovery.2,3
The Sans Bar
Founded by addiction counselor, Chris Marshall, The Sans Bar is Austin’s first sober bar, dedicated to providing a safe, sober space where people can hang out, enjoy a delicious a mocktail, and socialize with other sober people without having to worry about the tempting triggers and high-risk situations associated with other bars. Although Sans Bar does not have a brick and mortar location in Austin yet, the company participates in pop up events each month, featuring delicious alcohol-free beverages, live music, and sober social activities.
By 2019, the founder of Sans Bar hopes to open a permanent location in Austin that offers the same delicious and alcohol-free menu, low-cost yoga classes, meal prep classes, and community-building activities. Currently, a small cover charge helps the company fund their pop up events, but sober living residents in Austin who cannot afford the cover charge may send an email to sansbarinfo@gmail.com to work something out. The founder never wants to turn anyone away.4
CLEAN Cause
CLEAN Cause is an Austin-based company that sells organic, sparkling energy drink beverages in a variety of different flavors like peach, blackberry, raspberry, and lemon lime. Fifty percent of the profits go to support individuals in recovery from alcohol and drug abuse. If you’re currently enrolled in sober living, have a friend or loved one who is, or you just like to support those in recovery, buying this company’s flavored beverages is a great and easy way to do it.
Half of this company’s profits fund initiatives called CLEAN Kickstarts, which are 30-day sober living scholarships for recent drug rehab graduates. The scholarship initiatives are designed to help people in recovery pay for sober living and bridge the gap between rehab and reintegration into everyday life. This also gives newly sober individuals the opportunity to focus on finding a job, staying clean, and establishing a supportive sober community.5
University High School
University High School isn’t your average high school — it’s a sober high school located in Austin, Texas. Its mission is to enable all of its students to fulfill their academic potential within a safe, sober, recovery-oriented environment. Ninth through 12th-grade students at this high school receive a challenging, high-quality education, with accredited classes that include dual credit courses taught by highly-qualified teachers. The academic experience at UHS also incorporates 12-step recovery support to meet both the academic and recovery needs of each student and their families.
University High School is an independent, nonprofit organization and a member of the Association of Recovery Schools, which is a national association dedicated to school-based recovery support.6,7
As you can see, many organizations in Austin, Texas are passionate about helping people in recovery maintain a life of sobriety. Are you aware of any other Austin businesses or organizations that are actively supporting the local recovery community? If so, leave us a comment with more information so we can add it to our list!
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