First Recovery

01/05/2026

Our first Coffee in the Community of the New Year. Join us at Calamity's Coffee every Monday at 9 am for coffee and conversation. 😊

12/31/2025

2025 was a year of profound memories, shared victories, and sacred moments.
​While we mourned the loss of beloved participants, we chose to celebrate their lives and the lasting impact they left on our hearts. Alongside the tears, we found so many reasons to cheer: recovery milestones, new jobs, restored families, and the joy of new babies.​Whether we were laughing, praying, or welcoming home friends who found their way back to us, we did it together. To everyone who walked through our doors this year: Thank you. Your presence reminds us that no one has to walk this path alone. Your stories of hope renew our souls every single day.

2025 Highlights💜

New Leadership: This year, we welcomed our new Women’s Coordinator, Brandi Pedigo. Brandi has been an incredible addition to our team, bringing a wealth of gifts and a deep passion for serving God and others. We are truly blessed to have her on staff.

Housing & Support: We provided 40 sober living and housing grants this year, ensuring a stable foundation for those in recovery.
Wednesday Night Meetings: We hosted 48 different speakers who shared their experience, strength, and hope with our community.

The First Recovery Endowment: We successfully established the First Recovery Endowment this year. Following a robust community fundraising campaign and our incredible “Bluegrass and Burgers” event, we raised over $100,000. Our goal is that this mission will continue to support future generations.

Community Building: We fostered connection through our bingo nights, summer cookout, and Thanksgiving dinner.

Education & Advocacy: In partnership with Covenant Health’s accredited nurse residency program, we completed several anti-stigma trainings. We also initiated vital conversations with city government regarding the need for safe, responsible sober living housing.

Events & Outreach: Along with our community partners, we hosted Anderson County’s Day of Hope and held a dedicated “Recovery Sunday.” During these services, First Recovery staff and participants wrote and delivered sermons under the guidance of our pastors.

Comprehensive Care: Our team held weekly small groups for women, men, and families. We provided countless hours of peer support, 42 treatment referrals, transportation, and essential items like work uniforms and shoes.

Feeding the Community: Through our partnership with the FUMC community meal ministry, we provided meals most every Wednesday night meeting.

Looking Ahead to 2026 ✨

We are thrilled to welcome four new recovery committee leaders to our talented team! They bring years of experience and a deep passion for serving God and others. As we move into the new year, we remain in prayerful planning to bring help, faith, and hope to anyone in need.

Read more about our journey in this recent feature article in Knox News.

Recovery resources are disproportionately concentrated in urban centers. Surrounding communities like Oak Ridge face the same addiction pressures.

12/27/2025

ReLAUNCH, a nonprofit dedicated to achieving functional zero homelessness in Knoxville, is staying open every night regardless of the temperature.

12/25/2025

God can use anything and has a plan for your life. Next time you think your past dictates your future, remember: God often calls the unqualified.

When Jesus entered the world, He didn’t start where people expected Him to.

He didn’t go to Rome.
He didn’t go to religious leadership.
He didn’t go to the most visible, respected, or “put-together” people in the room.

He went to shepherds.

Not the sentimental nativity kind—the real ones.

Those pushed to the margins.
Often viewed as unclean.
Not exactly the trusted voices of their day.

People others wouldn’t trust with anything important.

And yet God trusted them with the first announcement of Jesus—the Son of God.

The angel called it “good news of great joy for all people.” (Luke 2:10)

And before the self-righteous could argue about who “all” included, God chose the kind of people society already excludes.

Later, there were wise men—educated, resourced, influential travelers from the East.

But they didn’t arrive first.
And they didn’t rule anything.

They followed a star.
More mystics than monarchs.
Observers of the heavens.
Seekers of meaning, not holders of power.

And notice—
Jesus didn’t begin with the most religious people either.

Not because religion is bad,
but because certainty can close you off.

When you’re already convinced you know exactly how God works, you’re less likely to recognize Him when He shows up looking different than expected.

From the very beginning, Jesus’ arrival made something clear without saying a word:

This wasn’t about proximity to power.
It wasn’t about appearances.
It wasn’t about who looks righteous or checks the right boxes.

It was about openness.

That detail matters—especially now.
We still confuse visibility with credibility.
Influence with maturity.
Certainty with truth.

We’re tempted to trust the people who look or declare themselves the most religious, even when their grip on control is tighter than their grip on love, compassion and mercy.

The Christmas story quietly dismantles that assumption.

God didn’t bypass the powerful because they were automatically evil.

He bypassed them because power has a way of tightening our grip — on control, certainty, and dominance — until our hands are too full to receive God.

If the shepherds weren’t disqualified, neither are you.

And maybe the very things you assume make you unworthy — your need, your weakness, your doubt, your lack of polish — are the things that keep your hands open.

If the Christmas story makes anything clear, it’s this:

God didn’t announce Jesus to people who looked impressive.

He announced Him to people who were awake enough to receive Him.

Merry Christmas, friends.
Much love to you all.

12/24/2025

12/18/2025

We see it daily.

12/18/2025

❤️

This will restore your faith in humanity --> Keith Tidwell used to walk nearly five miles — almost two hours — to and from his night shift at the grocery store. Then Debbie Rhoden recognized him on the side of the road and pulled over. What started as one ride has become a year-and-a-half friendship, offering safety, connection and a way for Rhoden to honor her late son’s giving spirit: http://www.wbir.com/article/news/nation-world/from-grocery-store-strangers-to-carpool-companions/507-9d90e9d8-5b8f-4531-9e48-816ec37e786f?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_WBIR_Channel_10