Fresh Start Recovery

12/19/2025

Gratitude in Action

Today at Fresh Start Recovery, we had the honour of celebrating a group completing their first phase of recovery and stepping into alumnihood.

In a world that moves fast and demands quick fixes, they chose something better. They chose to slow down, get honest, stay accountable, and lean into community. That choice is not small. It is life-changing.

This milestone is more than finishing a program. It is the start of a new chapter built on gratitude, connection, and the daily decision to keep moving forward. They showed what can happen when people walk side by side instead of trying to carry it all alone. Step by step, they lifted each other up and proved that recovery grows stronger when it is shared.

To the group we celebrated today: we see your courage. We respect your humility. We believe in what comes next for you. Keep going. Keep reaching back for the next person. You will always have a place here, and we are right beside you.

ComingTogether Calgary Lethbridge addiction recovery

12/18/2025

December Milestones: You Earned This

This month, across Calgary, Lethbridge, and online, we celebrated December milestones in recovery and the people behind them.

To everyone who reached a milestone in December: congratulations. We know these dates aren’t handed out. They’re built one day at a time, through hard moments, honest choices, and showing up when it would’ve been easier to disappear.

If you received a tile, jersey, or milestone recognition, let it land: you’ve done something real. And by doing it, you quietly gave the next person hope that this is possible too.

We’re proud of you. Keep going.

12/18/2025

Two Motorcycles. One Extraordinary Gift. Thank You, Grover Law

Gratitude. Generosity. Community.

These values guide our work, and today we want to honour a partner who embodies all three.

Grover Law has stepped forward as our main sponsor this year, donating two motorcycles to support the individuals and families we serve at Fresh Start Recovery. This generosity reflects real care for people and real belief in new beginnings.

What stands out most about Steve Grover and his team is their integrity. They show up with it, they lead with it, and they choose to support this work because they believe every person deserves a chance to rebuild their life. Their contribution strengthens the programs that help people heal, restore relationships, and find stable ground again.

Gifts like this remind us that giving does more than support services. It restores dignity. It rebuilds lives. It strengthens the community that makes recovery possible.

To Steve and everyone at Grover Law Firm thank you for leading with integrity, generosity, and heart. You help build a community where recovery can take root and where hope continues to grow.

Learn more about Grover Law: https://groverlawfirm.com

12/17/2025

Two groups. Two cities. One community.

This week, we are sharing two Group Gratitude's, celebrating individuals who have completed their first phase of recovery and are stepping forward into what comes next.

One photo is from Calgary, showing our soon-to-be alumni standing outside with the city’s colours behind them. The graffiti wall is loud in the best way. Bold. Layered. Full of story. It fits recovery. None of us arrives here as a blank canvas. We arrive with chapters, scars, gifts, and grit. And when people choose change, the story does not get erased. It gets transformed into something new, something stronger, something worth standing proud in front of.

The second photo is from Lethbridge, where the group gathered inside with the image of the Christmas fireplace glowing behind them. Warmth. Calm. A reminder that this season can be heavy for a lot of people, and that community matters. Recovery is not just about getting through the hard parts. It is about learning how to be present, to belong, and to build a life that feels worth protecting.

At Fresh Start, gratitude is not a speech or a moment on a schedule. It is an action word. It is choosing connection over isolation. It is showing up for yourself and for others. It is continuing to take the next right step, even when it feels uncomfortable or uncertain.

One Fresh Start community. One shared purpose. Recovery continues when we choose gratitude in action, together.

Calgary Group Gratitude
Thursday at 1:15 PM

Lethbridge Group Gratitude
Friday at 1:15 PM

If you would like to join us for lunch or request the livestream link, please email Rene@freshstartrecovery.ca

12/16/2025

December Recovery Milestones Celebration

This Wednesday at 6:30 PM, we gather as a community to celebrate December recovery milestones. These moments mark time in recovery and honour the days, weeks, months, and years people have committed to change.

Every milestone reflects courage, growth, and the strength it takes to keep showing up. Whether you're marking your own clean time, supporting someone you care about, or simply being present to listen, your presence matters. No one walks this path alone.

Alumni, families, friends, staff, and supporters are all welcome. Together, we’ll recognize progress, share connection, and keep building toward new seasons of reflection and growth.

📍 Join us in person at Fresh Start
🕡 Wednesday at 6:30 PM
💻 To attend virtually, email Rene at Rene@freshstartrecovery.ca

12/15/2025

Our hearts are full after our Christmas Open Houses in Calgary and Lethbridge.

This past week, we had the privilege of opening our doors in both Calgary and Lethbridge and welcoming so many of you into our spaces.

Seeing our community gathered around the same tables, sharing conversation, laughter, and connection, was a powerful reminder of why Fresh Start exists in the first place.

Fresh Start has always been shaped by people who care about showing up for others and strengthening the community around recovery. Your presence at our Christmas Open Houses reflected that in a very real way. You showed up. You stayed. You took the time to connect.

For many of the individuals and families we serve, these moments matter deeply. They reinforce dignity. They restore a sense of belonging. They remind people that they are not walking alone as they rebuild their lives. That is the heart of recovery, and it is also the heart of this season.

Our theme this year, Together, Without End, came to life in those rooms. What we experienced in Calgary and Lethbridge was not just a holiday gathering. It was a reflection of shared values and a community willing to stand together.

Thank you for joining us, for believing in recovery, and for bringing your presence and your heart into our spaces. We are grateful to walk this path with you, today and in the days ahead.

Together, Without End.

12/13/2025

12/11/2025

Gratitude in a New Season

Today in Lethbridge, we celebrated our newest group completing the first phase of their recovery at Fresh Start, just as December snow settles in around us. This is not an ending. It is the start of a new season in their lives, one filled with possibility, growth, and hope. Every step they took showed strength, honesty, and the courage to change.

Recovery grows in connection. It is strengthened by encouragement from peers, wisdom from alumni, support from staff, and the care of a community that shows up. Together, we see that healing is not only possible. It is powerful.

To our newest alumni, your next steps begin now. Let what you have learned guide you. Let the connections you have built carry you. Keep believing in yourself as the chapters ahead unfold. Your community stands beside you in connection, reflection, and growth.

12/11/2025

Lethbridge Christmas Open House – Tomorrow

Lethbridge, we are ready to celebrate together.

Tomorrow, Friday, December 12, we are hosting our Christmas Open House from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at:

85043 Range Road 212
Lethbridge County

If you did not RSVP, it is absolutely okay. You are still welcome to come.
We have planned for lots of people, and there will be plenty of food and holiday treats for everyone.

This is a chance to:

Share a warm meal

Connect with participants, families, alumni, neighbours, and partners

Celebrate the season in a spirit of generosity, gratitude, and community

Bring a friend, drop in on your lunch break, or stay and visit.
We look forward to seeing you and celebrating Christmas together.

12/11/2025

Why do families choose to support recovery?

Because it doesn’t just change one life, it strengthens every life connected to it.
In our third message, the Borgland family talks openly about why recovery matters to them. They have seen firsthand how addiction affects families, futures, and the fabric of our communities. They also know the ripple effect when someone finds their way back.

Recovery restores dignity.
It reconnects families.
It rebuilds what was lost.

That is why the Borglands have stepped forward to match the generosity already shown by the Grover Law Firm. They’re asking the community to join them, each in their own way and at their own level.

Your support helps create long-term recovery, connection, and hope for the people who walk through our doors every day.

Gratitude. Generosity. Community. Together, without end.

Give today: https://freshstartrecovery.ca/donate/

12/10/2025

How do you turn good fortune into responsibility?

The Borgland family has been a long-time supporter of Fresh Start. In this message, Hugh shares how their family has been fortunate in life and the responsibility that comes with that. They choose to give where they can see results and real impact in people’s lives.

Their connection runs deep.
His wife served as a nurse and counsellor in an adolescent day treatment program.
Their eldest son is the Chairman of our Board.
Their daughter is a neurologist studying addiction and also serves on our Board.

For them, supporting recovery is simply part of who they are, a commitment to long-term change, health, and community.

“We have been fortunate in our lives, and with that comes responsibility to the community. It makes me proud to see these individuals making a real effort to turn their lives around.”

The Borgland family has stepped forward with a significant gift and has chosen to match the generosity already shown by the Grover Law Firm. They are inviting the community to join them in whatever way reflects your own good fortune and values.

Your support helps people who are ready to rebuild their lives find a path forward.
Gratitude. Generosity. Community. Together, without end.

Give today: https://freshstartrecovery.ca/donate/

12/09/2025

Congratulations to our newest group celebrating Gratitude this week.

This photo was taken in Lethbridge on a cold winter day, standing together under the bridge. In recovery, we do the same thing. We step out of isolation, stand side by side, and keep moving forward even when the ground is icy and the wind is sharp. The bridge reminds us there is a way across. One step at a time, together, we move from where we were to where we are going.

Because our Lethbridge Christmas Open House is on Friday, this week’s Gratitude celebration will be held on Thursday at 1:15 PM at Fresh Start Recovery in Lethbridge.

Our Calgary community is invited to gather at the Calgary centre to cheer them on virtually. If you would like to join online, please email Rene@freshstartrecovery.ca
for the link.