Sober bar in Crystal Lake to get $50K grant for new outdoor space

New Directions Addiction Recovery Services will be transforming an alleyway into a vibrant outdoor space at The Other Side sober bar in Crystal Lake with the help of a $50,000 T-Mobile grant the nonprofit has just received.

New Directions was one of the 25 recipients of a Hometown Grant, a nationwide initiative by T-Mobile to help kick-start community projects in small towns. New Directions will use the funds to transform an alley off Main Street into a space with seating, a sound system and a new gate.

The sober bar, located at 135 Beardsley St., also will be getting updated flooring, furniture and surround sound in the community room to enhance an environment that aims to be safe and welcoming for recovery-focused gatherings and events.

“The teams at New Directions Addiction Recovery Services and The Other Side are honored to be awarded a T-Mobile Hometown Grant,” New Directions’ Executive Director Bobby Gattone said in a news release. “This grant allows us to support even more people seeking recovery by making some much-needed renovations to our sober bar and cafe. At The Other Side, we will continue to provide a dynamic social space for people to thrive without the necessity of alcohol, thanks to the support from T-Mobile.”

Revamping the alleyway was always something the organization wanted to do, but it was never a priority financially, as other repairs and maintenance took precedence, Gattone said. The team aims to start on the project as soon as possible with hopes to complete it by summer. Gattone hopes the outdoor space will draw more attention to The Other Side since it faces Main Street.

Hundreds of organizations across the country applied for the grant, with New Directions one of 25 recipients, Gattone said.

“I think it’s a testament for how unique we are and what we’re doing,” he said.

New Directions also is working on creating an affordable sober living apartment building in Woodstock, with a goal to break ground in the spring. To help fund the project and its programs, the nonprofit is hosting a fundraising raffle during a New Year’s Eve party at The Other Side. The raffle aims to raise $10,000 and includes prizes such as headphones and a TV.

“It has been a more difficult year,” Gattone said. “Donations are down the last couple of years.”

The Other Side provides a space for people in the recovery community and hosts many of New Directions’ programs and events. The sober bar also houses free vending machines of fentanyl test strips and naloxone spray, part of efforts to prevent and reverse opioid overdoses.

Since the start in 2021 of the Hometown Grant initiative, T-Mobile has awarded more than $15 million across 350 communities, according to the release. The mobile communication company awards 25 grants quarterly to towns with populations of 50,000 or less.