It’s a call to arms for the corps.
Providing the heavy artillery of financial advising, legal services and nonprofit experience, as well as time and money, about 25 Edina residents have joined the ranks of the Sober Corps. These mentors and volunteers are integral to the success of the Minneapolis organization’s alternative efforts to break the cycle of drug and alcohol addiction.
Without the Edina volunteers, “we wouldn’t be able to operate,” says Stephanie Malon-Rufi, director of Sober Corps. “Our volunteers are great, too, because they are strong supporters and donors. They are also loyal. It helps us as we expand the team.”
Fred Myers is the captain of the corps. A member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal church in Edina, the 82-year-old founded it about five years ago on the principle that most successful people have relied on a mentor for guidance. Meanwhile, he says, those struggling with addiction often have less education and more family issues.
“They are pretty fragile,” Myers says. “What can we do to stabilize these people? What can we do when they aren’t equipped?
Myers began by seeking a group of people to be trained as life-skills mentors. The mentors would be available—for free—to assist recovering addicts in the months after they leave treatment programs. The corps works off the statistic that if someone can remain sober for a year, their chance at long-term sobriety is at 70 percent.
The goal is to cut down on the estimated four times a person will go through treatment, Malon-Rufi says.
To be ready, the Sober Corps has trained about 35 volunteer mentors to establish two main elements in the new lives of those recovering: housing and income. “There aren’t a lot of programs that do that,” Malon-Rufi says.
And, Myers says, if the cycle isn’t maintained without a solution, taxpayers will cover the perpetuating cycle of addiction/recovery, addiction/recovery.
“So why let people struggle?” Myers asks. “Why let it get to that point?”
About 30 people have been assisted by Sober Corps, Malon-Rufi says. They often join in the third or fourth month of their recovery as they transition from a structured environment such as treatment center or a halfway house.
“When those programs end, that is when we are available,” Malon-Rufi says.
And that’s when the Edina Corps are at attention, too.
At St. Stephen’s, Myers has enlisted a number of fellow members to contribute to the corps, which fits the church’s mission of outreach and service, says Brian Ostenso, the church’s senior warden.
“It fits our vision of hands-on outreach to where people can participate on a personal basis and get to know and mentor the people in that program, as opposed to just writing a check,” Ostenso says.
“I think it’s great to see the participation and support,” Ostenso says. “For me, I feel like it helps build community.”
With Sober Corps and other outreach efforts, Ostenso sees a strong community at St. Stephen’s.
“It makes me feel good to know that my fellow congregants are giving of their time and talent to help others in need,” he says, “and they are receiving the benefits of extending a helping hand.”
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Sober Corps is located at 905 Fourth Ave. S. in Minneapolis. For more information, call 612.767.4360, email info@sobercorps.org.
