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Julie and Pat Callahan on why they chose to join Recovery Café’s Legacy Circle.

Julie and Pat Callahan are among the first Members of our new Legacy Circle. We asked them to write a little about themselves and why they chose to make a lasting gift to the Recovery Café. Pat and Julie are both retired and live comfortably in the Leschi neighborhood of Seattle. Hear in their own words why they chose to invest in the work of the Café.  

“We have chosen to be Legacy Members of the Recovery Café for multiple reasons. Both of us had careers in the Catholic Church–Pat as a Diocesan priest for 15 years, and Julie as a religious educator for 30. We’ve placed the principles of Catholic Social Teaching at the core of our shared values. Simply put, the DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON is paramount and this principle is at the core of Recovery Café’s work!

We became aware of the transformational work of  Recovery Café by listening to friends of ours who are either financial contributors, volunteers, or a Café employee (one such friend happens to be David Coffey, the Recovery Café’s humble, ‘walk the talk’ Executive Director). For the last several years we’ve attended the Recovery Café’s annual Standing in the Gap fundraising breakfast. The ‘umbrella message’ that we take away each year has been: 

When Recovery Cafe Members are treated with unconditional love, which is present in every aspect of the Recovery Café’s innovative programs, persons who were addicted, ignored and hurting are able to find acceptance, community, nurturing food, and the knowledge to help themselves to make healthy, life-giving decisions. Members have the strength and the on-going support to heal, and become positive contributors in society.

The strategies of this visionary work are now being illuminated and shared with cities throughout the United States (and Canada)…BECAUSE THEY WORK! This is the reason why we’ve placed the Recovery Café in our will. We hope that you come to a similar conclusion.”

For more information on the Legacy Circle and how you can make a lasting impact on our community, visit the Leave a Legacy page