A Naperville man is creating an online website called the Meeting Makers Club to help those recovering from addiction.
The Man Behind MMC
Antonio Sanders is working to provide this new resource for the addiction community to hold meetings virtually, since many are not able to meet in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sanders, who’s in his 10th year of sobriety, says the meetings were critical in helping him become sober.
“I spent a lot of time in the meetings early on and really what it was, it was just a safe place for me to open up, [and] to realize the effect that my addiction was having on my own life and my family’s lives,” said Sanders.
Goal of MMC
The hope is that Meetings Makers Club will allow for recovery groups from around the world to host meetings for any addiction, in any language, at any time.
“There are a lot of first responders and a lot of people that work odd hours and I’ve heard that in the meetings too. There’s people that come in and say ‘I have a hard time getting to meetings. There’s just not any. I work nights’ or whatever the case may be. But with this platform [Meetings Makers Club] you can go at 3 a.m. in Hawaii and it’s five hours prior to that. So there’s going be meetings there,” said Sanders.
MMC Needs Help
The platform is still in its early stages and needs $15,000 to bring it to fruition. Some key features once it’s complete include an anonymous and confidential portal exclusively for recovering first responders and a dial-in option for members of the recovery community without access to a computer or a smart phone.
Sanders says regardless of changes to the Restore Illinois plan, which will eventually allow for groups to meet-up, Meeting Makers Club can still play a pivotal role in someone’s journey to sobriety.
“If somebody is struggling in order to find those resources, depending on where they live, the resources aren’t there in rural communities,” said Sanders. “The resources may not be as easy to access in minority communities, so this really opens up that door.”
To learn more about the online platform you can visit the website.
Naperville News 17’s Christian Canizal reports.
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