Take three people with a combined 53 years of sobriety, add a Labor of Love, sprinkle in some great articles about Hope, and roll it all together into a free newspaper that saturates southern California.
The result is Keys To Recovery Newspaper.
This free resource about recovery is available from the most elite places in Southern California all the way down to Skid Row and everywhere in between.
It’s distributed to treatment centers, colleges, drug counselors, doctors, courthouses, probation officers, DUI classes, high schools, and even jails.
You might even meet the founders at Al Anon meetings or AA clubhouses.
Keys To Recovery Newspaper was founded by:
- Jeannie Rabb-Marshall – Co-founder and President
- Marcus Marshall – Co-founder and Vice President
- Beth Stern – Co-founder and CEO
It truly is a Labor of Love and it’s steadily gaining a following, with over 25,000 copies distributed every month and accelerating. It’s a little like recovery, one step at a time, one day at a time.
While the main focus is drugs, alcohol and the recovery process, many articles discuss eating disorders, gambling, sex addiction, and any associated disorders as well.
The founders believe the paper hits everybody’s demographic. If somebody needs hope they’re in the target demographic. Even if you’re not an addict, you probably know somebody who is.
The goal is to Focus on the Hope that Recovery is Possible for Everyone
You won’t find many articles about the horror stories of addiction. Everybody already knows about that side of the story and those stories don’t help anyone. What helps people the most is knowing there is Hope that recovery is possible and attainable.
To that end, Keys To Recovery is a solution-oriented publication and one that does not discriminate. All of the founders have been in recovery and understand what it’s like to be on both sides of addiction.
They believe in the principles behind the 12 steps of AA and NA, but also to any forms of treatment that work. They are very open-minded about recovery and positively inspire everyone they meet.
We met with the founders in our podcast studio in March and were impressed with their candor and how far they’ve come with the paper in such a short time. It’s a testament not only to their drive, but how well they have been received in the community.
Keys To Recovery Newspaper is approximately 80% articles and 20% advertisers, but the advertisers are mostly made up of recovery resources that fill every available niche. Like recovering addicts and alcoholics, they allow people keep their anonymity when being interviewed.
In addition to serious articles, the paper includes fun stuff like Soberscopes and an Events Calendar highlighting sober activities such as marathons, where to have dinner, sober dances, and all the stuff that is important.
Why a Printed Newspaper?
Some have questioned the old-school format of a printed publication in today’s digital world, but in talking with the founders, print makes so much sense in reaching their audience.
You can’t reach much of the audience online – you can’t get into jails if you’re online, you can’t get down to Skid Row, and you can’t get to Social Services.
The printed paper breaks down those barriers and reaches people who need it the most.
Many addicts are out on the street and they’ve checked out from society. They literally just disappear. They definitely are not checking social media any more.
With a hard copy, they can carry the message to as many people as possible because that’s what Keys To Recovery is, the message of hope to as many people as possible.
There are similar publications available, but not many, and most of them are in magazine format; some are quarterly and usually cost money. Keys To Recovery Newspaper is free and available every month.
Distribution is in Southern California but they will ship all over, such as Florida, New York, Arizona, and drop off copies anywhere in the Southland by request.
For more information, visit the website at www.KeysToRecoveryNewspaper.com or find them on Facebook at facebook.com/keystorecoverynewspaper.
We’d like to Thank Jeannie, Marcus, and Beth for speaking with us and spreading their message of Hope to those who need it most.
Related:
Keys to Recovery Newspaper Podcast
You Want To Conquer Your Addiction, You Just Don’t Know It Yet
Why Should I Stop Putting Off and Start Living My Life Today?
