LA CROSSE, WI.—Chad Ravens is the newest face at VARC's Recovery Café, The Good Bean. You can find him five days a week inside the Coulee Recovery Center, mentoring baristas, crafting gourmet beverages, and living out the recovery lifestyle.
VARC welcomed Chad to the team in May, bringing with him five years of coffee industry experience and a desire to help others. When we asked him why he chose to work at VARC, he replied, "I was tired of dead-end jobs and wanted a career that actually meant something." This new opportunity allowed Chad to channel his lived experience and improve the world, one client at a time.
As recovery café supervisor of The Good Bean, Chad's role goes beyond creating delicious coffee and tea beverages. (Though he crafts those incredibly well, regardless.) Baristas chosen for the program are often at the beginning of their recovery journeys from substance abuse, looking for structured support and new skills that can lead them to successful independence from drugs and alcohol, as well as a means to support themselves in the long term financially.
Chad provides customized support to each client, using strength-based approaches that help each barista see their own potential, focus on their developing strengths, and move forward in their life. Their employment training allows them to earn a wage and covers transferrable work skills such as punctuality, safety, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication. Alongside the lessons learned while crafting beverages at the counter, clients also get a classroom experience: learning how to apply for jobs, build a resume, construct a cover letter, interview for a job, and plan for the future.
More About Chad
Chad originally hails from Kankakee, Illinois. He spent some time living in Chicago's southern area until middle school, when his family moved up to the Driftless Region. He is a proud father of three, with one daughter (14) and two sons (10 and 8).
Outside of VARC, Chad has an unusual hobby of participating in medieval reenactment with an organization called the SCA. He engages in archery, armored combat, and other fascinating reenactments from pre-13th century Europe, exploring history by richly reliving it.
Contrary to what you'd expect, VARC's new Recovery Café Supervisor's favorite drink is a Rockstar energy drink. "But for coffee, I prefer a medium to dark roast drip with cream and stevia," says Chad. When we asked him about surprising facts that mostly only baristas know, he told us that most espresso drinks have the same amount of caffeine in them.
It's now been over a month and a half since Chad began at The Good Bean, and he's excited to do the job for as long as he can. "I just love all my regulars and all the staff at the Coulee Recovery Center," he says. "They make every day a special memory for me."
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