MUNCIE, Ind. – The Recovery Cafe of Muncie received a grant from Kicking The Stigma, an initiative launched by Jim Irsay’s family in 2020 to raise awareness and end the stigma surrounding mental health disorders.
“You just never see the behind-the-scenes, and for us on this end, we know what the behind-the-scenes are a lot more than other people do,” Cafe Manager Sean Cox said.
Irsay’s foundation collaborates with nonprofit organizations to provide funding to those that make a lasting impact in the mental health sector, such as the Recovery Cafe. The cafe has worked closely with the initiative before.
“So for us to be able to use that as a platform is really humbling. It brings everything down on ground level,” Fox said.
Fox is the cafe manager at Recovery Cafe, but he’s also the supervisor of the Motivating, Empowering, Navigating, and Discover program, also known as MEND. The program is funded through the grant, but he plans to use the funding towards an age group he says are “crucial years.”
“I’m really big on starting a big brother and big sister program, right around the ages of 19-24, and I know that’s critical for many people in their lives. I would like to use the money to walk alongside people,” Fox said.
The grant money will also be used for the cafe’s relocation. The cafe has recently relocated to its new location at Muncie Friends Church, 418 W. Adams St. With the new space, the cafe can now welcome the broader community.
“Our membership is getting really big, so it was a good problem. So more people would keep coming to the cafe, and there would be days were it was just standing room only,” Executive Director Abby Gluvna said.
With over 21,000 square feet, the cafe can now offer more to its members. From warming and cooling centers, more free meals, and other resources to help with recovery, Gluvna says she wants to see the cafe become a hub of accessibility.
“When this idea was really falling into place, like we are moving, it was them. Their emotion and their excitement, and like them, having their own place to call their own is everything,” Gluvna said.
The Recovery Cafe plans to have its grand opening of its new location in November, but its services are still open to the public. To learn more about the cafe and its mission, check out their website.
Contact Amelia Winter with comments at amelia.winter@bsu.edu.
