The Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) promotes and puts a positive face on recovery through advocacy, education and service to:

• End discrimination surrounding addiction and

• Open new doors and remove barriers to recovery
• Ensure that all people in recovery are treated with

Description:
The Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) envisions a world where the power, hope and healing of recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction is thoroughly understood and embraced.

CCAR is working on many levels to achieve this vision. We have opened Recovery Community Centers in New London and Willimantic. These centers are places that are shared by people in recovery, family members and friends of people in recovery (or need support because they are involved with someone in active addiction), and friends of recovery. The centers are not only used for meetings, but contain resources for the use of members - such as a computer and phone center and resource guides - as well as being a place just to "get away from it all" for a while. Each center is peer driven, and members plan and promote several recovery friendly activities on a continuing basis. Additional centers will be opened in Bridgeport and Hartford this year, and a Recovery Center in the Norwalk area is being planned.

CCAR is also an active advocate before the Connecticut legislature and is a member of several state advisory committees an topics ranging from substance abuse recovery to family support issues.

Our volunteers will be enabled to help throughout the recovery community and guide CCAR in achieving its vision.

History:
Organized in 1997, Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery was officially named in 1998, and granted 501(c)3 status in 2001. With a primary mission of “Putting a positive face on recovery”, CCAR organizes and directs its efforts at many levels as a resource and advocate not only for people in recovery, but also for friends and families affected by persons in recovery or suffering from addiction. Many of CCAR’s volunteers are “friends of recovery” – people who are familiar with the disease of addiction who also know that recovery works.

CCAR’s main offices are in Wethersfield, CT with local chapters in Bridgeport, Hartford, New London, Norwalk and Windham. In 2004, the Windham chapter opened a Recovery Community Center. New London opened its Recovery Community Center in 2005. These centers are places where volunteers can go to utilize various resources, meet with other volunteers to socialize and to organize recovery friendly events, or just to have a quiet place to relax.

Throughout its history, CCAR has been active at many levels to promote recovery. Starting in 1999, CCAR has held an annual Legislative Day at the State Capital in Hartford, where staff and volunteers meet with members of Connecticut’s Senate and House Representatives to make them aware of CCAR’s activities and to advocate for policies favorable to the recovery community. In 2000, CCAR held its first annual Recovery Walk at Bushnell Park in Hartford. Now in its seventh year, the event draws upward of 3,000 volunteers, people in recovery, and friends of recovery. CCAR is also partnered very closely with the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, working together on substance abuse and recovery oriented issues,

Each local chapter has monthly meetings, where the chapter’s volunteers decide what activities they will promote. The New London chapter recently had a very successful Comedy Night, a “Day in the Clothes Closet”, which gave people access to clothes for both work and finding work, and will be hosting an event at the Hygienic Arts Park in New London featuring the band Selfish Steam. The New London chapter also hosts weekly meetings of a men’s group, a women’s group, and a family support group. All of these events are largely the work of volunteers – from the initial planning to final production.

The New London chapter of CCAR, and its Recovery Community Center, is in need of new volunteers to facilitate its growth and to bring in new ideas for different activities that will be of interest to the recovery community. If you are looking to volunteer where your efforts will have a positive impact, please contact us.

Contact person: Linda Hunter, Telephone Recovery Support Co-ordinator, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (860) 440-3607

Address:

83 Boston Post Road Waterford, CT 06320 (See a map)

Directions:

On Boston Post Road in Waterford, directly acrossed from City Tire, in the Stonington Institute New Life building   Nearest Bus Stop: One SEAT route, Bus 3