FIT TO RECOVER IS A NONPROFIT GYM AND COMMUNITY CENTER FOR PEOPLE IN RECOVERY FROM SUBSTANCE MISUSE DISORDER. WE STRIVE TO CREATE A SAFE PLACE WHERE OUR MEMBERS CONNECT AND THRIVE THROUGH FITNESS, NUTRITION, COMMUNITY SERVICE AND CREATIVE ENDEAVORS.
Welcome to the FTR Newsletter! Stay updated on new programs and events, media highlights and what our awesome volunteers and donors are doing for our recovery community.
Thank you for your support!
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New Intern: Jonathan MacCord!
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Fit to Recover is excited to welcome our new intern, Jonathan MacCord! Jonathan joins us from Denver, Colorado as a student at Johnson and Wales University, where he is pursuing a degree in clinical nutrition. His favorite cereal is CRUNCHY Raisin Bran (so it doesn’t get soggy!) and he enjoys lacrosse, hiking and fishing in the beautiful Utah mountains during his free time. You can find Jonathan assisting Tessa in the Food to Recover kitchen or facilitating the newly launched Monday Meal Prep! Jonathan instantly felt close to FTR and it’s mission and he has found inspiration in our supportive environment. “It’s impossible not to feel welcome here,” he says of our community. Welcome to the team, Jonathan!
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Collective Effervescence and The Power of Assembly
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Fit to Recover prides itself on its ability to connect people in recovery through shared experience. While FTR is a unique place, the idea that community and connection can improve the quality of life for people who are struggling has been well documented. In her most recent book, Braving the Wilderness, Brene Brown, PhD, LMSW illuminates the impact of this power of connection that occurs when a group comes together in pursuit of a common goal. To describe this powerful phenomenon, Brown references French sociologist Emile Durkheim’s concept of “collective effervescence”; the experience of connection, communal emotion, and “sensation of sacredness” that happens when we are part of something bigger than us. Brown also sites a 2017 study where researchers developed and validated an instrument to measure how experiences of “collective assembly” affect us. They found that these experiences contribute to a life filled with “a sense of meaning, increased positive affect, an increased sense of social connection and a decreased sense of loneliness-all essential components of a healthy life”. When our clients attend an FTR class, they aren’t just coming to workout, cook a meal, or check off community service hours. They are committing to be a part of an important shared experience, where they achieve and accomplish a goal as a community. Even when members feel scared or vulnerable, in fact,
especially
when they feel scared or vulnerable, they can rely on a culture of safety and support to carry them. When individuals join together to participate in a shared experience, bonds of sustainable connection are formed. That connection is invaluable. It is the conduit for healthy relationships, opportunities for service and the essential “get out of your head” moments that recovering people need when life becomes overwhelming. So please, come join us for a workout, cooking class or service project and experience the power of “collective effervescence”. We get stronger, TOGETHER.
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Volunteer Spotlight! Xochitl Angulo
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Xochitl Angulo, FTR member since 2017, is a mom of 3, skilled cook and lover of pugs. She has dedicated her time to FTR in the last 9 months by taking care of the fish (our community pets!) and making their home a happy one. Thank you, Xochitl for the hours of work and tender care. You are greatly appreciated!
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Have you been in a fitness class and had an inspiring and supportive partner helping you with that last round of deadlifts? Or maybe a staff member was a particularly good listener on a day you really needed to talk? Have you noticed a positive change in another member? Please drop your words of appreciation in our
“Shout-Out Box”
(
located on the front desk
) and we will announce them in the next newsletter and on our social media page. Shout Outs are a way for us to anonymously give each other the gift of encouragement and support.
Your words might be the best part of someone’s day!
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Guest Chef: Joshua Cornell
July 31st
5:30 - 7pm
Monthly guest chefs help to bring major talent to the kitchen, help us get excited about food, and help us learn new and simple tricks for our own cooking!
Join our FTR member and professional chef, Joshua Cornell, as he teaches us Basic Techniques in Asian Cuisine!
Channeling his work as a previous sushi chef, he will be showing us different simple ingredients to make delicious and easy meals!
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Cooking with Your Kids!
Starts July 18th
5:30 - 6:45pm
Cooking is a great way to help kids develop skills, learn healthy habits that can last a lifetime, gain a new hobby, and most of all a chance to bond with your child!
Join us for a 3-week cooking class with your kids that will cover:
Healthy eating for kids and snacks (
Wednesday July 18th
)
Breakfast and Quick Sides (
Wednesday August 1
)
Lunch and Dinner for Kids (
Wednesday August 15
)
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Community Service: Salt Lake County Animal Shelter
July 28th 10 - 12pm
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This month's Service Outreach is with the Salt Lake County Animal Shelter. We are collecting donated items up until the event date that the shelter is in need of. You can drop off donated items at Fit To Recover or Usara. On the day of the event we will be volunteering at the shelter with any services they need.
If you have any questions about this event or donations, email Crystal Yazzie at [email protected].
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MISSION: FTR's mission is to provide people in recovery from drug and alcohol misuse with a safe place to connect through exercise, nutrition, creative expression and community service.
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Special thanks to our Champion donors:
The George S. and Dolores D. Eccles Foundation
The Sorenson Legacy Foundation
The Lawrence T. and Janet T. Dee Foundation
Episcopal Diocese of Utah
Intermountain Healthcare
Val and Edith Green Foundation
Larry H. Miller Charities
Nicholas Zurn Scholarship Fund
Utah Medical Association
The Wheeler Foundation
United Way of Salt Lake
Zions Bank
And to our Recovery Partners!
Acqua Recovery - Ascend Recovery - Balance House - Brighton Recovery - Cold Creek Behavioral Health - The Haven - Odyssey House - Recovery Ways - Renaissance Ranch Treatment Centers - Turning Point - Salt Lake County Youth Services - Strong Hope/Salt Lake Behavioral Health
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