A $5,000 Gift to New Now Village: The Kind of Difference We Want to Make
When we started 11th Step Coffee Co., our promise was simple: roast great coffee that fuels honest morning grounding and build a business that gives back to the recovery community.
We believe coffee can be more than a morning ritual. It can be an opportunity to connect, encourage, and carry a little hope into someone else's day.
And while we're still growing, we recently had the opportunity to support an organization that represents exactly the kind of difference we hope to make through 11th Step Coffee Co.
A Gift with a Bigger Purpose
I'm grateful to share that I recently made a donation of $5,000 to New Now Village, an organization working to build a supportive recovery community in Montana.
Recovery has given me more than I could ever repay. It's given me a new way to live, a community of people who understand me, and opportunities to be useful to others. Supporting New Now Village felt like a meaningful way to put some of what I've been given back into the world.
This is also a glimpse of what I want 11th Step Coffee Co. to become.
My hope is that, as our coffee community grows, the business itself will be able to make contributions like this. I want the revenue we generate together to help support recovery organizations, create opportunities for people rebuilding their lives, and carry the message that no one has to walk this road alone.
This first gift came from me personally. My hope is that future gifts will come from what we build together.
The Heart Behind New Now Village
If you haven't had a chance to learn about New Now Village, I want to introduce you to the community they're working to build in the Flathead Valley of Montana.
Founded by Nino and Victoria Gabaldon—a sober husband-and-wife team with over 25 years of involvement in the recovery community—New Now Village grew out of a calling to love, serve, and create lasting recovery community.
Their vision centers on a supportive tiny-home community for people walking the road of recovery. It's built around a beautiful idea:
Living a smaller life to live a bigger life.
By creating affordable, supportive housing through tiny homes and small cabins, New Now Village hopes to give people more than a roof over their heads. Their vision includes community accountability, on-site 12-step meetings, shared resources, practical life skills, and opportunities to give back.
A few things about their mission especially resonate with me:
Creating Space for Grace
New Now Village envisions an intentional neighborhood where people with long-term sobriety can share their experience, strength, and hope with those who are still finding their footing.
Recovery doesn't happen in isolation. We need people who understand where we've been, believe in where we're going, and are willing to walk beside us along the way.
The Makerspace & Salvage Yard
Their vision includes an upcycling program that reclaims discarded building materials and furniture and transforms them into beautiful, functional pieces.
There's something powerful about that idea.
Taking something others might have overlooked, recognizing its potential, and helping it become useful again.
In many ways, that reflects what happens in recovery. We discover that our past doesn't have to define our future and that even our most difficult experiences can become something useful in helping another person.
The Animal Sanctuary
New Now Village also envisions an animal sanctuary built around the healing connection between people and animals.
It's another expression of their belief that compassion, responsibility, and service can help restore lives.
And sometimes, helping another living creature find safety and belonging is part of how we rediscover those things for ourselves.
Why This Matters to 11th Step Coffee Co.
One of the most important things I've learned in recovery is that we don't keep what we've been given by holding on to it.
We keep it by giving it away.
That's the spirit behind 11th Step Coffee Co.
Yes, we want to roast excellent coffee. We want you to look forward to that first cup every morning, whether you're sitting quietly with your Higher Power, reading your daily meditation, or getting ready to face whatever life has in store.
But we also want to build something that reaches beyond the coffee cup.
We want 11th Step Coffee Co. to become a business that helps make recovery possible for someone else.
That might mean supporting organizations that provide housing, helping create employment opportunities for people rebuilding their lives, or contributing to communities where people can find the connection and encouragement they need.
New Now Village is an example of exactly the kind of mission we want to support.
And this personal donation is a first expression of that commitment.
I hope that someday we'll be sharing stories about contributions made possible directly through the coffee you've purchased, the subscriptions you've maintained, and the community we've built together.
That's the vision we're working toward, one bag and one morning at a time.
How We Can Keep Making a Difference Together
Recovery is about freely giving what was so freely given to us.
When someone takes a step toward creating a safe place for others to heal, we have an opportunity to come alongside them.
New Now Village's need for support, resources, building materials, and community involvement is ongoing.
If their mission speaks to your heart, I encourage you to learn more about Nino and Victoria's vision. You can explore volunteer opportunities, learn about their plans, or make a contribution directly to New Now Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting their mission.
👉 Explore New Now Village and learn how you can help
You don't have to buy a bag of our coffee to make a difference in someone's recovery. Sometimes the best thing we can do is simply connect someone with a cause worth supporting.
Keep Coming Back
Whether you're celebrating ten years of sobriety, fighting through Day Three, or simply supporting someone you love who's walking this road, thank you for being part of the 11th Step Coffee Co. community.
I'm grateful for the opportunity to honor my dad's memory by using part of what he left me to help others.
And I'm excited about what we can build together through this little coffee company.
Great coffee. A little morning grounding. And a purpose bigger than ourselves.
The coffee's fresh. The pot's on. And you are never alone in this.
— Darin S.
Founder, 11th Step Coffee Co.