SNOHOMISH COUNTY—The vision of Snohomish County Recovery Coalition is a community that supports recovery in all forms. Its mission is to advocate and support meaningful actions that promote connection, equity, and recovery in our community.
The Snohomish County Recovery Coalition aims to elevate the voices of people in recovery while destigmatizing addiction primarily through its advocacy work. The coalition is a sponsee of the Everett Recovery Cafe and completely run and operated by volunteers. It is also a part of the Washington Recovery Alliance which was founded by Representative Lauren Davis about 10 ten years ago.
The Washington Recovery Alliance will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary at the Lodge at St. Edwards Park in Kenmore this November 4, bringing together advocates, allies, and those in recovery to honor its collective journey and look ahead to a brighter future. At this event, guests can expect to enjoy inspiring stories, live entertainment, delicious food, and the company of those who have shaped the alliance’s mission over the past ten years, featuring a performance by the talented Mary Lambert.
The coalition was founded by E.V. Velez, Recovery Support Coordinator for Snohomish County Therapeutic Courts and Regional Advisor for Snohomish County Recovery Alliance, who struggled with opioid use in his 20’s and, as a result, quickly became familiar with the intersection of substance abuse and the criminal justice system.
Velez, originally from Wisconsin, informed the Lynnwood Times that he was never offered a therapeutic response to the crimes he committed like what is offered in Snohomish County.
He now was over a decade clean and sober, and founded the Snohomish County Recovery Coalition in 2023 to help others who may have been in his same shoes.
“A lot of my friends continued to make the same decisions and there were definitely some instances that if I would have gone left instead of right, I would be in the same position they’re in,” said Velez. “My circumstance was everything was getting worse. There was no longer avoiding prison because of my record. The consequences were getting severe enough which led to reevaluating my decision-making.”
Velez’s past experiences now help in his current position, allowing him to empathize with the people he serves and understand what they’re going through.
Velez’s coalition just had its second annual Spring into Recovery event last May where his coalition intended to bring in “every conceivable resource into one place at one time,” he said. This included immediate access to detox, connections to resources, and offering services like mobile dental and haircuts. The coalition plans to return next May for its third annual Spring into Recovery event hoping to be bigger and better.
The coalition also supports local recovery advocates. Just last September, during recovery month, the Snohomish County Recovery Coalition awarded Edmond Smith, Executive Director of the Holman Recovery Center in Arlington, with the first annual Recovery Ripple Award.
Velez and his friend Travis Gannon, member of the coalition and founder of Hand Up Housing, recently addressed the Lynnwood City Council about opening up addition recovery support because of the opening of the upcoming Community Recovery Center and concerns of having entry points but not having a full continued service of care needed for sustainable, long term, recovery.
“We can get you through the door but what’s the next step? There always have to be a next step and if we don’t have a next step a lot of people tend to get stuck or regressing because they don’t have a path forward,” said Velez.
Velez added that, while the coalition’s work is primarily advocacy now, he hopes to pursue grant opportunities to expand its services into community work in the future.
A benefit of being a coalition of partners, Velez continued, is that the organization does not have to subscribe to one particular modality and promote organizations that are doing great work.
“Furthering the conversation by being collaborative as possible with our neighbors to the north and south, coming up with viable options and ideas,” said Velez. “We can come up with novel solutions but if the will is not there it’s just not going to get done.”
Last Friday, Velez participated in the Western Washington Legislative Listening Session with the Washington Recovery Alliance discussing possible legislation that needs to be brought forth or reevaluated to support those in recovery on a legislative level.
The Snohomish County Recovery Coalition has general meetings at the Everett Recovery Cafe every second Tuesday of every month, at 5:30 p.m.
The Coalition is also holding a holiday drive for families now through December 7, accepting donations of money, gift cards, and gifts to support children affected by family members struggling with substance abuse or the difficult path of recovery.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
