SAN ANTONIO – The Diversity Recovery Center is a brand-new space for people in addiction recovery, but it’s unique in one way: a singular focus on the LGBTQ+ community.
KSAT was invited to sit in on a recovery meeting at the center where members said their emotions, struggles and gratitude could flow freely.
“We find ourselves in really hard times and we’re struggling,” one person, who did not want to be identified, said in the meeting. “And it’s nice to be reminded or surrounded by messages that love can flow with ease.”
“Being able to cultivate really loving healthy relationships with other people in recovery has been such a gift for me,” another person said.
The meeting space opened in April. Its rapid growth showcases just how many people it is helping.
“A person in recovery walks into a space. They are really scared, especially if they’re new,” Discovery Recovery Center president Chris Crouch said. “So when you’re LGBTQIA and you walk into this space, you start seeing that, ‘Oh, I’m home, and I’m going to be safe here.’”
After 30 years of sobriety, Crouch wanted to give back by bringing the Diversity Recovery Center to San Antonio.
His goal was to make it different than other LGBTQ+ recovery spaces around the country by making the center open to all types of recovery programs, not just 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous.
“(We do) 12-step programs, Dharma Recovery, Rise Recovery, Smart Recovery,” Crouch said. “Anything that has to do with addiction recovery, including trauma work.”
“I can also see people that are here to have one-on-one meetings with their spiritual mentors, congregating at the same time,” member Jonathan Garcia said. “And it’s just really beautiful to see.”
Garcia said it’s an all-inclusive space for a community that often does not feel catered to.
“I feel a general sense of kinship to people that are in recovery in general,” Garcia said. “But when I’m with my LGBT brothers and sisters, like, we are family.”
The tight-knit group of members hopes that the “family,” as Garcia put it, will grow.
“If you have ever felt like you don’t belong, I hope that you’ll come here,” Garcia said.
Anyone interested in becoming a member or recovery leaders who want to host meetings at the center can contact the Diversity Recovery Alliance through its website or by emailing draboard210@gmail.com.
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