Cafe dedicated to recovery from addiction celebrates first anniversary

Anyone who has struggled with addiction knows that it is not an easy journey to recovery, nor is it one that has a definitive end, so having the right tools and support to successfully tackle that journey can make all the difference.

For local resident Rochelle “Shelley” Poerio, understanding this from her own personal experience has led to something that is having a positive impact on the community each and every day, her organization, Living Free Health and Fitness.

After researching and observing the benefits of nutrition and exercise when it comes to “staying stopped,” Poerio founded Living Free Health and Fitness in 2013. Last year, a very excited Poerio took a risk and expanded into the realm of restaurants with Living Free Cafe, which officially celebrated its one year anniversary on Tuesday, April 25.

Over the past 12 months, the Living Free Cafe has become known for well-priced, tasty breakfast and lunch options as well as a variety of fancy drinks. But the cafe is about much more than just good food at good prices. As detailed on the organization’s website, “Net proceeds support Living Free Health’s nonprofit activities, including free and discounted treatment, meeting basic needs of clients and employing people who are working hard to make change in their lives and develop great work skills and careers!”

Heading down to the cafe on Tuesday, the Pahrump Valley Times was able to meet with Poerio and a few members of the cafe staff, all of whom were overjoyed at the major milestone the cafe has now reached.

“I feel good, I mean, I am really proud of how everything has gone. I think we’ve had a very successful year,” Poerio said with a bright smile. “We’ve hired a lot of people, some in recovery, some not. Our products and services have expanded, we’ve gotten new equipment over time. This is a place people feel comfortable in, it’s family-friendly and we accommodate a lot of large parties, too, because we don’t charge the minimum 18% or 20% gratuity for big groups. And we have a really good reputation for value, service and quality, which I think are the most important things.”

Speaking with the crew on shift that morning, whose names will be withheld for privacy purposes, the Times heard nothing but enthusiasm for the cafe and the work environment itself.

“I love it here, knowing that people are going to show up for their job is great. And we all pull together when we have issues, or have family things come up, we support each other,” a young lady who has been working for Living Free Cafe for several months said. She noted that some key lessons she has learned thus far through her work are the importance of reliability, dependability and teamwork.

“It’s been really great working here. I have learned so much,” another staffer added. “This is one of the most non-toxic places I have ever worked, so it’s good for the mental health side. I love the people I work with and Shelley is amazing. And I have been here since May, so almost a year now, and just seeing where we started to where we are now, it’s an amazing feeling to be a part of that. It’s been a cool experience for me.”

A transplant from Seattle who brought her coffee-making skills to the table to help broaden the cafe’s drink menu offered her thoughts, too, stating, “This is incredible, just the story behind what Living Free does. I’m not in recovery myself but I came from a not-great situation with my ex-husband, who was a severe alcoholic, so I understand the whole concept. And then, just how much everyone is such a team player, I have never worked at a job where everyone is dedicated and gets along. It’s by far the best job I have ever had. We have an amazing boss in Shelley, who is such an inspiration with her own story of recovery.”

As Poerio noted, not all of the staff are in recovery but each and every one of them has a unique skill set and background to bring to the table to help make the operation even better.

When it comes to the customers, it was clear the cafe has plenty of fans as well.

“We come here all the time, I love the burger and the breakfast burrito,” one customer commented, while her husband interjected, “And the service is fantastic!”

Another couple, Cecelia and Bob, were enjoying the last of their breakfast sandwich and coffee and they said they too are devoted customers, visiting the cafe nearly every single day since discovering it shortly after moving to the valley. Each said the food is delicious but what’s more, the atmosphere itself is very welcoming.

“They treat you as a family member,” Bob stated, while Cecelia chimed in, “We’ve come to know them and they are family now.”

Poerio was obviously happy to be marking a full year of operation at Living Free Cafe and she is looking forward to continuing to grow the cafe’s customer base, so she can continue to facilitate the recovery of people all across Pahrump.

“The fact that this is really a therapeutic workplace is really what this is all about,” Poerio remarked as her interview came to a close. “We’re giving people the opportunity to get their confidence back, to rebuild their self-esteem or even build it from the ground up, to get healthy again and able to be on their feet, to work a full shift, they are getting established in those things. And we are also very flexible when it comes to scheduling around say, their court dates, their treatment, their mental health, their doctors appointments, so they can continue to meet those needs while also having a job that can allow them to build skills that may be transferable and start to take care of themselves or their families financially. There’s a lot of benefit to it and we think we’ve been very well-received in the community.”

Living Free Cafe is located at 2050 N. Highway 160, Suite 400, behind the Horizon Market on Mesquite Avenue. It’s open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. As a continuous special, the cafe is offering 10% off of all food and beverage purchases from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For more on the cafe or Living Free Health and Fitness as a whole visit www.LivingFreeHealth.org or call 775-505-1625.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com