GLCF Site Visit 2021: The Bridge Club
For those not familiar with the tenets of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.), the elevator sign reading “The Elevator is Broken, Please Use the Steps” in the lobby of The Bridge Club might be overlooked. On a recent GLCF site visit, Founder and Executive Director Bob Cox shared the story of the elevator and of opening a center inspired by The Crossroads Club in Delray Beach, Florida, which put him on the path to recovery. When Cox first toured the property on Merrimack St., he mentally mapped out the location for his faux elevator – a symbol that there are no elevators in A.A., only steps, the 12 steps.
The Bridge Club opened in January 2020 and hosts over 30 N.A./A.A. meetings every week. The club is open 365 days a year, seven days a week, with a dedicated staff of recovery coaches ready to assist those navigating their journey or returning from relapse. Additional services include assisting in detox, rehab, and sober living placement as well as helping those in recovery to re-enter the workforce.
Cox’s innovative leadership has broadened the work in the community to include more diverse recovery coaches that are more reflective of the city. As a result, Hispanic, Southeast Asian, and African community members have undergone training to become recovery coaches. A grant from GLCF partially funded the diverse recovery coach program.
The club includes large and smaller meeting rooms, a small room for VA officials to meet with veterans in recovery and trying to find a job, and an even smaller space they call “the reflection room.” There is also a commercial-grade kitchen space that Cox has plans to teach veterans and others needing a new career path how to cook.
Thank you to The Bridge Club for leading to a more inclusive approach to addiction recovery in our community.
