“What brought me here? Word of mouth. What kept me here? Literally everything else!” If you’ve been in the Café during coffee hours, you’ve seen Lexi behind the counter of the coffee station, either making delicious, caffeinated beverages, or giving someone instruction on making one. Lexi is our Barista Training Program manager (she’s also a Member) and based on her quote above, we love having her here nearly as much as she loves to be here!
A Maltby native, Lexi grew up in Snohomish County. She heard about the Café from her IOP at Providence, where she was undergoing treatment for alcohol addiction. She came by the Café figuring it would be a good place to get a meal and maybe a bit of community, but she found so much more. “I knew once I started coming here, it was where I wanted to be, like it felt right.” A Member since January 2023, Lexi has been sober since March 2023, the longest stretch since she was 14. Recovery Circles were especially important in her path to sobriety because it was a place for her to get overwhelming support for recovery or in the event of a relapse.
“What brought me here? Word of mouth. What kept me here? Literally everything else!”
– Lexi
When M’lissa was looking to start up the Barista Training Program (BTP) and searching for someone to lead it, Lexi stepped up, drawing on her previous barista experience working at the Lodge at St. Edward Park. As the BTP manager, Lexi is responsible for training Members taking the course. She guides the trainees around the space, familiarizes them with the equipment, helps trainees prepare resumes and serves as a job reference during their job search. All of this has impressed M’lissa, who says that “Lexi is the greatest, she’s the best!” Lexi is loving it too, feeling fortunate to work in a place that fosters recovery, saying “It is the best job I’ve ever had.”
“If you come in here and make the effort to get to know people, you’re going to get so much out of it.”
– Lexi
Today Lexi still gives back, not only by managing the BTP, but also in Recovery Circle, where she provides the support for those in recovery. She also takes Café calendars back to the Providence IOP so they know what’s coming up. Lexi sums up the Café experience for new Members this way, “If you come in here and make the effort to get to know people, you’re going to get so much out of it. And even if you come in here and don’t get to know people, we’re a chatty bunch, someone is probably going to try to talk to you. You will end up talking to someone.”
