How a Naperville man is improving online help for those in recovery

A Naperville designer who has been supported by the addiction recovery community for the past decade is creating an online platform to help recovery groups better adjust to the need for virtual meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Antonio Sanders is raising money to build the first version of meetingmakersclub.com, which he says will outperform Zoom and other online meeting technologies in use by 12-step groups because he's designing it with the aim of overcoming addiction in mind.

“For the recovery community, all of the features and the functionalities are based on that simple goal — to help people get and stay sober, to be able to build a sober network,” he said.

The platform will allow users to access meetings for any addiction at any time from anywhere, Sanders said, meaning people who work odd hours will have better options to attend meetings in other time zones.

It will allow uploads of documents so members can follow along with recovery texts discussed during meetings, and feature a separate portal for first responders to privately discuss the struggles of their addictions and recoveries. And it will be free for members to attend meetings and get the help they need.

“It's kind of like real life,” Sanders said. “You can go to a meeting any time you want. There's no fees.”

Local recovery community members are praising two other features Sanders is building into meetingmakersclub.com — an icon members can display to show they are willing to sponsor others in their recovery and a chat feature for members to connect informally after organized meetings have ended.

“I think that's terrific because it is that one-on-one, personal connection that really makes the difference,” said Jason, a recovery community member in DuPage County who asked for only his first name to be used to protect anonymity.

Many 12-step and other recovery groups have made the necessary switch to online meeting technologies during the stay-at-home orders. But for recovery support, more than many other types of meetings, the virtual gatherings don't fill the hole, participants say.

“It's not that face-to-face, human contact,” said Brad Gerke, director of operations for Banyan treatment center in Naperville and co-founder with his wife, Jessica, of the 516 Light Foundation, which he said aims to be “the Google of recovery.”

“You don't get the meeting after the meeting, whether that's outside fellowshipping or going to grab coffee or lunch or dinner after a meeting.”

Without the ability to chat after a meeting wraps up, recovery participants say, part of the support of a typical in-person gathering is lost. Staring at faces on a screen, it isn't as natural to take the risk of admitting a need.

“It's hard to ask for help if you're in a virtual meeting with 30 people and there's a time limit and only one person can talk at once,” Gerke said. “For somebody to reach out and say 'I need help' right now is hard.”

Sanders said he has branched out in his own attendance of online support meetings to attend gatherings hosted in places such as Australia. He and other recovery participants say groups are adjusting to the inability to meet in person, or in groups of more than 10.

Sanders hopes meetingmakersclub.com can be a better virtual way for people overcoming addiction to connect, listen and pay it forward.

“Once you've come in and you're sober for a while, you're encouraged to lead,” he said, “to give back.”

The site is accepting donations toward a $15,000 goal, which would allow Sanders to build “the core of the platform.”