Fresh Start Recovery

Fresh Start Recovery https://linktr.ee/FreshStartRecovery

Lethbridge Locations
85049 Range Road 212
Lethbridge, Alberta
85043 Range Road 212
Lethbridge, Alberta

Located in Calgary and Lethbridge Fresh Start Recovery Centre’s (FSRC) treatment program follows the disease concept: We see addiction as an illness that is progressive and often fatal if left untreated. The good news is that with treatment and a program of recovery, people can and DO live healthy, happy and productive lives. That has been our focus for the last 29 years as we provide solutions which support people moving forward in long-term recovery. With our treatment locations in both Calgary (men only) and Lethbridge (men and women) we are seen as a treatment leader not only in Calgary and area, but are recognized across Canada for the interdisciplinary approach we take to treating addiction. Our entire focus is on a recovery solution that is real, attainable and sustainable. Along with the two treatment centers, we currently have 46 post-treatment housing beds in two apartments in Calgary. Post-treatment housing clients are provided weekly check-ins with an outreach counsellor, peer support and are part of a strong alumni network. In all of our work, we remain constant to our core values: equality, empathy, trust, accountability, support, change, respect and individuality.

As we move into the Christmas season, I keep coming back to the same three things: generosity, gratitude, and community....
11/19/2025

As we move into the Christmas season, I keep coming back to the same three things: generosity, gratitude, and community.

At Fresh Start in Calgary and Lethbridge, those are not just words we put on a poster. They are the pieces that make this place what it is, and they show up every single day through people like you.

We would be grateful if you could join us for one of our Christmas gatherings:

🎄 Calgary Christmas Open House
📅 Friday, December 5
🕚 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
👉 RSVP: https://forms.office.com/r/XSPcKaWMVa

🎄 Lethbridge Christmas Open House
📅 Friday, December 12
🕚 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
👉 RSVP: https://forms.office.com/r/wyEJ2ADdNF

In Calgary, our roots run deep. For more than three decades, you have opened your hearts to the individuals and families who have walked through our doors. Because you have stood with us, men have been able to rebuild their lives, reconnect with their families, and find their place back in the community. We have grown, changed, and held steady because this community has refused to look away from addiction and has chosen instead to lean in with compassion.

In Lethbridge, we are still new to this community, and we feel honoured to be welcomed into it. The generosity you have already shown is creating space for individuals and families to feel supported as they take their first steps into recovery. Each visit, each conversation, and each show of support is helping to shape something real and meaningful in Southern Alberta. The gratitude we see each day is genuine because it comes from people who feel the impact of your support as we settle into our new home here.

This Christmas, we want to gather in a way that reflects who we are and the kind of community we are building in both cities. We want to sit down together, share a meal, and create moments of connection that matter. Moments that remind us why this work matters, why we keep showing up for one another, and why no one has to walk this road alone.

Your presence matters more than you know. The generosity of your time is truly immeasurable. When you show up, you are not just attending an event. You are helping to create a space where people in recovery, their families, alumni, partners, and supporters can feel seen, valued, and part of a larger community.

Join us for an afternoon of good food, meaningful connection, and sincere expressions of gratitude. Our hope is that we come together, share stories, and deepen our sense of community, reminding each of us that we are no longer alone.

👉 Please use the links above to RSVP for Calgary or Lethbridge and share in an afternoon of food, connection, and community.

With gratitude,
Bruce Holstead
Executive Director
Fresh Start Recovery

Gratitude – Gathering at Fresh StartThis Friday at 1:15 PM in Calgary, we’ll gather to celebrate a new group completing ...
11/18/2025

Gratitude – Gathering at Fresh Start

This Friday at 1:15 PM in Calgary, we’ll gather to celebrate a new group completing their first phase of recovery at Fresh Start.

Standing together in front of our building, we’re reminded that this is where the journey changes. The front step is more than a doorway. It’s where we move from isolation toward hope. This group isn’t just celebrating a milestone; they’re becoming part of the welcome. They’re ready to stand at that same front step for the next person who arrives, to say, “Welcome home, you’re no longer alone,” and to walk beside those who are just starting out. Together, we keep moving with connection, reflection, and growth.

Our Lethbridge community and friends beyond can join in person or online so we can celebrate as one.

Join us for lunch or request the livestream link by emailing Rene@freshstartrecovery.ca

Remembrance Day | We RememberToday, we honour those who served, those who never came home, and the families who carry th...
11/11/2025

Remembrance Day | We Remember

Today, we honour those who served, those who never came home, and the families who carry their stories. Their sacrifice gives us the freedom to serve. We honour service with service.

To every veteran in recovery, to loved ones who stand beside them, and to families who continue to remember, we see you. Remembrance is gratitude in action. If today is heavy, reach out. We will walk with you.

Lest we forget.

33 Years. Thank You.Today we simply say thank you.To our staff, alumni, clients, board, families, donors, partners, and ...
11/10/2025

33 Years. Thank You.

Today we simply say thank you.

To our staff, alumni, clients, board, families, donors, partners, and friends in Calgary, Lethbridge and beyond. Your Generosity opens doors, your Gratitude keeps us grounded, and our Community holds the bridge steady for those crossing into a new life.

For 33 years we’ve stayed true to Housing, Treating, Supporting. One person at a time. One family at a time. Recovery is possible. Hope can be restored. Lives can be rebuilt.

On behalf of our board, staff, alumni, and those we serve, thank you for walking with us.

With gratitude,
Bruce Holstead
Executive Director, Fresh Start Recovery

Congratulations to our newest group celebrating Gratitude this weekHalloween has come and gone, but this photo tells a s...
11/05/2025

Congratulations to our newest group celebrating Gratitude this week

Halloween has come and gone, but this photo tells a story. The group posed in front of a haunted house with skeletons in the background. In recovery, we face our own “skeletons,” bring them into the light, make amends, and keep moving forward with honesty and courage. Step by step, we build new routines and a life we don’t need to hide from.

This Friday, we honour a new group completing the first phase of their recovery journey. As they join our Alumni community, we’ll keep showing up together for connection, reflection, and growth.

Join us Friday at 1:15 PM at Fresh Start Recovery in Lethbridge for our Gratitude celebration.
If you can’t attend in person, gather at our Calgary centre to cheer them on virtually, or email Rene@freshstartrecovery.ca
for the online link.

Top 5 Impact. Proven where we live.As we reflect on today’s recognition from Charity Intelligence Canada, we are reminde...
11/04/2025

Top 5 Impact. Proven where we live.

As we reflect on today’s recognition from Charity Intelligence Canada, we are reminded of something simple and powerful: impact is not about us, it’s about community.

Fresh Start has also been recognised as a Top 5 Impact Homeless-Serving Charity and a Top 5 Impact Charity in Calgary. This honour reflects the work we do together across Alberta.
What does impact look like?
• A safe bed during a time of crisis
• Treatment that rebuilds confidence and connection
• Housing that offers dignity, not just shelter
• Support that extends to families and friends
• Recovery that feels like home, long after the program ends

💜 This recognition belongs to everyone who believes in this mission. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for caring. Thank you for making a lasting difference right here in Alberta.
And to Charity Intelligence, we appreciate your commitment to shining a light on accountability, transparency, and impact. You help donors and communities invest where it matters.

Thank you for being part of this recovery community, on behalf of our board, staff, alumni, and those we serve.

www.freshstartrecovery.ca

Top 10 Impact. Community at work in Canada.With deep gratitude and real excitement, we are honoured to share that Charit...
11/04/2025

Top 10 Impact. Community at work in Canada.

With deep gratitude and real excitement, we are honoured to share that Charity Intelligence Canada has named Fresh Start as both a Top 10 Overall Impact Charity and a Top 10 Canadian Impact Charity for 2025.

This recognition matters not because we seek awards, but because it reflects our mission in motion. It confirms what our community, partners, funders, and supporters help prove every day:
• Recovery is possible.
• Hope can be restored.
• Lives can be rebuilt.

We deeply respect and appreciate the work of Charity Intelligence. Their independent research helps donors give with confidence and highlights where generosity creates measurable change. We are proud to align with their standards of accountability and impact.

Fresh Start is Housing, Treating, and Supporting people affected by addiction. Together, we are watching individuals, families, and whole communities recover.

💜 On behalf of our board, staff, alumni, and those we serve, thank you for believing in this work, for standing with us, and for helping turn compassion into impact.

Alumni Community Step and Topic Meeting this Wednesday at 6:30pmEach week we come together as one community. Join us in ...
11/03/2025

Alumni Community Step and Topic Meeting this Wednesday at 6:30pm

Each week we come together as one community. Join us in person in Calgary, at the Recovery Community in Lethbridge, or online.

Alumni come together to support one another and to connect with those in treatment

For the online link or more details, email Rene@freshstartrecovery.ca

Are you looking to get more connected and involved with the Alumni Association?

The next Alumni business meeting is held on the first Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m., which is tomorrow. Email Rene at the email above for the link or join in person.

Grateful for our Lethbridge community. Last night we joined Sober Cartel and Southern Alcare Manor to host the Sober and...
11/01/2025

Grateful for our Lethbridge community. Last night we joined Sober Cartel and Southern Alcare Manor to host the Sober and Clean Halloween Dance, and the room was full of connection, laughter, and families having real fun in a safe space.

Nights like this remind us that we build community with community. When people come together with purpose, we create spaces where recovery is visible, welcoming, and joyful. For many, Halloween used to mean alcohol or drugs. Now it can mean costumes, music, and memories that everyone can take home.

Thanks to Sober Cartel for hosting, Southern Alcare Manor for partnering with us, and to everyone who showed up, danced, entered the costume contest, grabbed a slice, and cheered each other on. This is what recovery looks like.

Gratitude on Halloween NightToday at Fresh Start Recovery, we celebrated a group completing their first phase of recover...
10/31/2025

Gratitude on Halloween Night

Today at Fresh Start Recovery, we celebrated a group completing their first phase of recovery. On a night filled with costumes and carved pumpkins, they chose courage, honesty, and connection. That’s the kind of light that shines far beyond this season.

This milestone marks a new beginning—a chapter built on reflection, growth, and gratitude. Step by step, heart by heart, they’ve lifted each other up and reminded us that recovery is most powerful when shared.

To the group we honoured today: your strength and hope light the path for those who follow. Keep walking forward. We’re right beside you.

🎃

Happy Halloween! 🎃Our alumni and participants in Calgary and Lethbridge carved pumpkins and got our houses ready for the...
10/31/2025

Happy Halloween! 🎃

Our alumni and participants in Calgary and Lethbridge carved pumpkins and got our houses ready for the holidays. Simple traditions like this build routine, connection, and a sense of home.

Year round, our alumni partner with us to create meaningful activities and days like this for those who will soon join their ranks. They lead by example, share what works, and help keep recovery practical and community-centred.

From our homes to yours, have a safe, sober, and fun night.

10/31/2025

Our Executive Director Bruce Holstead joined Global News, where Interfaith Food Bank was also featured alongside, to speak about Fresh Start and Interfaith being named to Charity Intelligence’s Top 100 with a 5-star rating. This recognition reflects responsible stewardship, measurable impact, and a community that shows up so people can begin and sustain recovery.

Thank you to our board, clients, alumni, staff, volunteers, donors, and partners. Your support helps us build safe, supportive spaces in Calgary and Lethbridge. This is Generosity, Gratitude, and Community in action.

Watch the story and celebrate with us.

Charity Intelligence Canada

Address

411, 41st Avenue NE
Calgary, AB
T2E2N4

Telephone

+14033876266

Website

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Our Story

Mission: “Fresh Start is recovering lives by Housing, Treating and Supporting people affected by addiction.”

Vision: “Every individual - Recovery for life.”

Fresh Start Recovery Centre is an abstinence based, adult men’s addiction treatment centre using the 12 Step model of recovery as our base for treatment and supported within a bio-psycho-social model of therapy. The chronic disease of addiction (including alcohol) is at the core of many of our community issues. Fresh Start Recovery Centre offers comprehensive programs that support people from all walks of life; our doors are always open to anyone who wants recovery.

Fresh Start has been operating in Calgary since 1992 and is recognized as one of the top three treatment centres in Canada (a Donner Canadian Foundation Award Top 3 Finalist for the Treatment of Alcohol and Substance Abuse since 2006 and THE TOP AGENCY in 2010, 2013 & 2014*), a Charity Intelligence Canada Top Pick and Four Star Agency for Homeless Prevention since 2007, and the 2012 Calgary Award Winner for Outstanding Community Advocate Agency.