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What's New, What's Next...
What's Possible
| | If you have upcoming news or information you'd like to have us share in this newsletter, please contact our development office at jthomason@abcrecoverycenter.org. Our next newsletter will publish on July 1, 2026. Please send your article requests no later than June 25th. | | |
A Message from the
Chief Executive Officer
Dear Friends, Supporters, and the Entire ABC Recovery Center Family,
After years of planning, advocacy, and construction, our new 120-bed facility is nearly complete. In just a few weeks, we'll open these doors to the community and then soon after we will begin welcoming the people who will start their recovery here. It is, without question, the most significant milestone in ABC Recovery Center's 63-year history.
But buildings don't build themselves, and this moment didn't happen by accident. It happened because of people.
It started with Danny Leahy, who founded ABC Recovery Center in 1963 with a simple, radical belief: that people struggling with addiction deserve dignity, compassion, and a real chance at a new life. That belief became our Social Model of Recovery, and it has guided every decision we've made for six decades. Danny's vision is the foundation this entire campus stands on.
It continued with every counselor, case manager, peer mentor, cook, driver, and administrator who has walked through our doors and poured themselves into this work — many of them alumni of our own programs. Our staff is the heartbeat of ABC. The three-year CARF accreditation we earned this year — the highest level awarded — is a direct reflection of their excellence, and I could not be more proud of this team.
It lives on in every client who has trusted us with their recovery. Over 50,000 individuals have come to ABC since 1963. Their courage is what gives our mission meaning. Every bed we've made, every meal we've served, every conversation that helped someone believe they could try again — that is the real story of this organization.
And it was made possible by you — our donors, our community partners, our neighbors, and our champions. From the State of California's $27 million BHCIP grant to a mother sponsoring a bed in memory of her son, from Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez securing critical infrastructure funding to a community member's memorial fundraising page on our website — this community has shown us what it looks like when people truly invest in second chances.
We are not the same organization we were a year ago. We are stronger, more capable, and more prepared than ever to meet this valley's growing need for treatment. And we are just getting started.
On June 15, we invite you to come see what you've helped build. The Grand Opening is free and open to everyone. Walk the halls, meet our team, and feel what it's like to stand inside a place that was built — from the ground up — on hope.
Thank you for believing in this work. Thank you for believing in the people we serve. And thank you for believing in us.
With deep gratitude and excitement for what's ahead,
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Chris Yingling
Chief Executive Officer
ABC Recovery Center, Inc.
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Grand Opening: The new ABC Recovery Center Campus
Free & Open to the Community
Monday, June 15, 2026
10:30 AM – 1:30 PM
44359 Palm Street, Indio, CA 92201
Self-Guided Tours • Refreshments • Ribbon Cutting
After more than 60 years of serving the Coachella Valley from our original campus on Palm Street, ABC Recovery Center is opening the doors to a brand-new, purpose-built facility — and we want to celebrate with you.
Our new campus — a 44,400-square-foot, 120-bed residential treatment facility — was made possible by a $27 million grant from the State of California through the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP). It represents the largest investment in addiction treatment infrastructure in the history of the Coachella Valley.
This facility was designed from the ground up for comprehensive care for our community. Recovery, the philosophy that has guided our work since 1963: that healing happens in community, that environment matters, and that every person who walks through our doors deserves dignity, safety, and a real shot at a new life.
Whether you’ve been part of the ABC family for decades or are learning about our work for the first time, we’d be honored to welcome you. Come walk the halls, meet our team, and see what this community has built together.
Parking is available on-site and along Palm Street. Please dress comfortably for a June morning in the desert.
| | Each month, ABC Recovery Center provides our clients who have completed their treatment an opportunity to give their testimonial about their care. We encourage their honest assessment in hopes that it informs our care. Our mission is to guide recovery and to provide the best of care possible for those who are brave enough to make the journey to wellness. We are going to share these testimonials with you in each newsletter, in hopes that we all learn a bit more about why our mission matters. | |
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For families impacted by a loved one's substance use, please consider attending the counseling that ABC Recovery Center provides.
| | | | For additional information please e-mail us at family@abcrecoverycenter.org | | |
Building Hope: Furnishing the Future
A $2 million Comprehensive Campaign to Complete What the State Started
The State of California funded the construction of our new facility. But that $27 million grant covered the building's shell only — not a single bed, desk, chair, or recovery resource inside it. That's where Building Hope comes in.
Building Hope: Furnishing the Future is ABC's capital campaign to raise $500,000 in its first year — part of a $2 million, three-year effort — to furnish every room, equip every counseling office, and prepare every space in our new campus for the people who will begin their recovery here.
Ways to Give
Every contribution is personal and lasting. Naming gifts are recognized with a plaque or display for the duration of the naming term:
- Any amount — every dollar helps furnish someone's fresh start
- Sponsor a counseling room chair — $400
- Sponsor a lounge chair — $500
- Name a Recovery Bed — $2,500
- Furnish a Dorm Room — $5,000
- Sponsor a Dining Table — $5,000
- Name an Office — $10,000–$75,000
- Name a Common Area — $50,000–$250,000
- Name an Entire Building — $150,000–$350,000
How Our Community Is Showing Up
Individuals, families, community groups, and businesses are already stepping forward in extraordinary ways:
- A mother's gift: Millie Lutch named a bed in memory of her son Justin Matthew Lutch — one of the first named beds in the campaign
- A community memorial: A memorial fundraising page for community member Miles Burke is live on the campaign platform, turning loss into lasting purpose
- Karaoke for a Kause: Hunters Palm Springs hosted fundraising nights every Tuesday in April to sponsor a named bed
- Direct donation: Bill and Robin Harmon contributed $25,000 through the Harmon Recovery Foundation
- Leadership Coachella Valley: The LCV Class of 2026 selected Building Hope as their annual community project, launching peer-to-peer fundraising across their networks
- Start your own fundraiser: Families, businesses, and community groups can launch their own fundraising page to rally their network behind a bed, a room, or any amount
Explore more information, naming opportunities, and donate at givebutter.com/c/ABCBuildingHope or click on the button below!
Every dollar furnishes someone’s fresh start.
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ABC Earns Three-Year CARF Accreditation
The Highest Level of Recognition in Behavioral Health
ABC Recovery Center has been awarded a three-year accreditation by CARF International — the highest level of accreditation the organization grants. This achievement reflects the hard work, dedication, and commitment of our entire team in providing high-quality care to those we serve.
CARF’s surveyors specifically highlighted several of ABC’s strengths in their report. They noted that our leadership team is notably strong, with many long-tenured members who demonstrate mutual respect, collaboration, and a shared commitment to excellence. The presence of program alumni in key leadership roles was recognized as a reflection of deep dedication to both our clients and long-term recovery, bringing valuable lived experience into the care we provide.
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ABC Night at the Firebirds
Hockey, Community, and Recovery Pride — March 7, 2026
On March 7, ABC Recovery Center took over Acrisure Arena for ABC Night at the Coachella Valley Firebirds as the team hosted the Calgary Wranglers. The event brought together ABC staff, alumni, donors, supporters, and their families for a night of hockey, community, and celebration.
The evening featured an alumni ticket giveaway — three pairs of tickets raffled off to ABC graduates who commented their graduation year on social media — as well as a group ticket package where a portion of every sale went directly to ABC. It was a chance to see the ABC family out in force, cheering together in a setting that had nothing to do with treatment and everything to do with connection.
Events like these are a reminder that recovery doesn’t end when someone completes a program. It lives on in the friendships, the traditions, and the community moments where people who’ve walked a hard road get to enjoy a regular Saturday night together.
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Every month, the ABC Recovery Center team identifies our Rock Stars. This is a peer designation which makes it even more special. Rock Stars are member of our staff who are going above and beyond the expectations of their positions. They are making our mission happen and are integral to the important changes we are helping our clients make in their lives.
Monthly, staff are included in the request to nominate a Rock Star. They are asked what inspired them to nominate their peer and are provided six criteria to select from that apply to their nominee. The survey is tabulated, and the winners are announced by Human Resources.
To learn about our Rock Star of the month, and to keep up with ABC Recovery Center every day, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!
Click on a symbol below to go directly to our pages!
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SAVE THE DATE
A Brighter Chapter — The 2026 ABC Recovery Center Gala
Mark your calendars for the biggest night of the year. On Thursday, November 5, 2026, ABC Recovery Center will host our annual gala at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio. This year’s theme — A Brighter Chapter — celebrates the opening of our new campus and the extraordinary future it represents.
We are honored to announce that this year’s gala will recognize Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez for his steadfast championship of behavioral health, community infrastructure, and the underserved populations of the Coachella Valley. Supervisor Perez’s support of ABC — including securing a $300,000 county grant to support critical infrastructure for our campus expansion — exemplifies the kind of public leadership that makes recovery possible for thousands of families across eastern Riverside County.
Returning as our auctiontainer is the incomparable Kelee Lee Walton, who brought the house down at last year’s event.
Last year’s gala welcomed 260 guests and raised over $146,000 for ABC’s mission. This year, we’re aiming for 300 guests and a record-breaking night.
Whether you attend, sponsor, donate an auction item, or spread the word — there is room at this table for you.
Sponsorship packets are available at the front desk at ABC.
For questions or to get involved, contact Jimmy Thomason at jthomason@abcrecoverycenter.org or (602) 621-5499.
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Leadership Coachella Valley Goes All In
Class of 2026 Selects ABC as Community Project Partner
Every year, Leadership Coachella Valley’s incoming class selects a local nonprofit to support through their annual community project. This year, the Class of 2026 chose ABC Recovery Center — and they didn’t just say yes to supporting the Building Hope campaign. They said yes to every option we proposed, and then added trees on top of that.
The partnership has been extraordinary. LCV members have served as peer-to-peer fundraising ambassadors, activating their professional networks to raise awareness and dollars for the new campus. Their involvement has set the tone for what community partnership looks like when people fully commit.
On April 30, ABC hosted an ABC Soiree in our admin building exclusively for the LCV class and invited guests. The evening included virtual tours of the new buildings, remarks from ABC leadership, a community mural painting experience, refreshments, and digital displays recognizing donors and sponsors who have made the expansion possible.
It was the first time many guests had set foot on the campus, and the energy in the room was electric. As one attendee put it: you could feel the hope in the walls.
ABC is deeply grateful to LCV, their leadership, and this incredible cohort for trailblazing this concept. Their example will inspire other community groups to step forward in the months and years ahead.
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Thanks to all in the community who generously support our mission
As one of Southern California's leading destinations for addiction treatment, ABC Recovery Center promotes wellness and healing for all stages of recovery. When we first meet the clients who arrive at our door, we don’t know what the future will hold. We welcome them without judgment and provide an individually tailored holistic and multi-disciplinary team approach that has successfully helped many others overcome their battle with substance use disorders. ABC is Licensed by the State Department of Health Care Services, as well as being accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).
ABC Recovery Center offers a full continuum of services for those who have made the decision to make significant changes to their lives. We offer the following programs: Detoxification (Detox), Residential Treatment, Intensive Outpatient Program, Outpatient Program, and our Transitional and Sober Living Programs. We also provide a family program, perinatal services, and specialized groups for LGBTQIA constituents.
We are helping provide a future for over a thousand people a year, and that doesn’t include the number of people whose futures will be impacted when our clients are returned to them, sober and safe. We are here to provide them every opportunity to have the future they want.
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