Editor’s Note: This is the10th installment in a series of articles focused on the partner agencies and programs that are served by the United Way in Montgomery County. This article discusses drug and alcohol addiction. If you or someone you know is experiencing a medical emergency, please dial 911.
According to a 2024 report issued by the Indiana Department of Health, 1,618 Hoosiers statewide died “by unintentional or undetermined intent drug overdose.” While this number decreased from 2,130 in 2023, the fight to combat substance abuse remains a top priority by organizations like the Recovery Coalition. To them, a single life lost is one too many.
Founded in 2018, the Recovery Coalition initially was run by a group of volunteers during its infancy. Each volunteer was estimated to have worked 40-60 hours a week, helping residents overcome their reliance on addiction and seek a path towards independence. As rapid growth began to settle in with a new building, the staff followed along. Connie Esra would take the helm as its director. Thus, the Recovery Rec Center was born.
“We strive to have people that are in recovery working here at the Recovery Rec Center,” Esra said. “Anytime somebody walks in the door, they feel welcomed. They are greeted by someone who knows what they’re going through.”
Esra herself once struggled with addiction. For 30 years, she was in-and-out of the prison system as her dependency on alcohol and drugs continued to take over her life. It was during her last incarceration where she decided to make a change.
“I finally got so sick and tired of being so sick and tired,” Esra reflected. “When I was sitting there in that cell, I was thinking to myself how I ended up here again. It was at that moment when a lightbulb went off. I started actually listening to the suggestions that were given to me. After my release, I started going to meetings; I got a sponsor; and I worked the steps. I have never felt the need to pick up a drink or a drug since.”
From day one, Esra has been passionate about her role within the Rec Center.
“I love doing this, and it loves me back,” Esra said. “It’s so rewarding to watch somebody come through the doors broken; watch them have their lightbulb moment; and then come back out as a new person.”
Not everyone can be hired at the Rec Center. Each staff member must understand what it means to be reliant on substances, and what it takes to gain independence from them. Extensive training is conducted to ensure the highest quality of care possible.
“We only hire people who care; not someone who just wants a paycheck,” Esra said. “We have to be selective because you never know what they may encounter. We repeatedly train our staff through different perspectives, such as QPR, mental health, CPR, first aid, etc.”
The Recovery Rec Center is a hub for a range of services tailored for each individual need. Narcotics Anonymous meetings are held every Monday, Thursday, and Sunday at 7 p.m., and every Tuesday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Smart Recovery meetings are held every Monday at noon and every Friday at 6 p.m., which are structured as group-therapy sessions to help cope with urges, intrusive thoughts, and destructive behaviors associated with addiction. One-on-one peer recovery coaching is available by walk-in and appointment by calling 765-267-1239. Celebrate Recovery gatherings are held every Tuesday from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Free Meal & Haircut days are the last Saturday of every month from 2 until 6 p.m. These are only some of the services and events held regularly at the Rec Center.
“All of these events offer an opportunity for people to walk through those doors to open arms,” Esra said.
NA, AA, and Celebrate Recovery meetings are each rooted within the 12-step recovery method. The system facilitates the act of accepting responsibility for one’s actions, and finding ways to not only seek forgiveness from others, but to also forgive themselves.
“The method also teaches you how to take inventory of your life,” Esra said. “Everyone makes mistakes. If you’re in the wrong, you promptly admit it and move forward.”
One recent success story involved a woman who, for a time, kept relapsing. However, after being guided to different meetings and spending time with a recovery coach, her path to recovery began to get easier. By the time of writing, she has since been sober for three months, and has found a job.
“She struggled for quite some time,” Esra said. “I just saw her the other day, and you can see the light shine in her eyes. It’s so rewarding to watch her face sparkle.”
The Recovery Coalition is a nonprofit who is reliant on donations and grants. They also take in nonperishable food items and clean clothing. Sweatshirts, blue jeans, work clothes, and steel-toed boots are hot commodities to those looking for a restart in life.
“The last time I got out of jail, I had nothing,” Esra said. “I actually got out using the oranges I wore since I had grown out of the clothes I walked in with. When I got to rehab after my release, there was a girl who gave me a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. I washed and wore them every day. This simple gesture inspired me to open a clothing closet and food pantry here at the Rec Center.”
To run a facility like the Rec Center takes a lot of money. Utilities and insurance alone costs an upwards of $1,500 per month. Both of these expenses are covered by the United Way in Montgomery County.
“The United Way has been supportive of us since day one,” Esra said. “They actually just donated a bunch of clothes to us. Without their support, none of what we do here would be possible.”
The Recovery Coalition received $13,500 from the United Way in Montgomery County in 2025.
“They don’t just hand out money freely here and there,” Esra said. “They research the nonprofits; they do site visits; and they make sure to be transparent. It’s all community funding that makes Montgomery County a better place to live.”
The United Way in Montgomery County is raising $320,000 in 2026 to help local non-profits like the Recovery Coalition to continue providing their services. Learn more about their impacts by visiting www.uwlafayette.org/montgomery.
If you or someone you know is seeking recovery from active addiction, there are multiple avenues of support. The Rec Center is located at 1300 S. Ladoga Road in Crawfordsville, and they are open every Sunday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. They can be reached out by phone at 765-323-3940. Their website can be accessed by visiting www.recoveryrecctr.org. Residents in Crawfordsville who need immediate medical services can reach out to Mobile Integrated Health’s 24/7 Quick Response Team Hotline by calling 765-401-6200. Integrative Wellness, which provides resources on mental health, is also available in Montgomery, Boone, and Clinton counties by calling 765-680-0071, or by visiting inwell.org.
Kurtis Broadstreet is the 2026 campaign chair for the United Way in Montgomery County.
