HatchSpace, Turning Point of Windham County, and J.K. Adams work together to transform the lives of Vermonters in recovery from Substance Use Disorder
The Recovery Boards Project at HatchSpace perfectly illustrates the transformative power of woodworking. This innovative, newly-developed program came about as an evolving collaboration between HatchSpace, Turning Point Center of Windham County, and J.K. Adams. When it commences this Fall, it will offer an opportunity for Vermonters in stable early recovery from Substance Use Disorder (SUD) to work with imperfect wooden boards, reflecting the journey of recovery. Participants will learn valuable woodworking skills as they shape the boards into beautiful, salable products, reflecting their own path toward rebuilding their lives.
Through the Recovery Boards Project, each institutional partner will play a crucial role. HatchSpace will provide the space and expertise for the woodworking classes, while J.K. Adams will supply the imperfect wooden boards, known as “seconds,” which participants will rework into high-quality cutting boards. Turning Point Centers of Windham County, represented by their Director of Programming & Community Engagement, Justin Johnston, will help select participants and provide ongoing support throughout the program.
The Recovery Boards Project was initially conceived by HatchSpace’s founder, Tom Bodett, and further refined in collaboration with Turning Point Center of Windham County. Bodett, who is in long-term recovery himself, was inspired by his own journey, as well as the central role that woodworking played in his life. Shelton Walker adds, “This topic hits close to home for Tom, and he and I share a passion for supporting those impacted by SUD.”
Adam Sigel, CEO of J.K. Adams, highlights the promising potential of this collaborative effort: “We met Tom and Shelton and felt the idea of the recovery board was a great program. We were pleased to be able to participate by supplying our wooden boards to HatchSpace. Tom and I handpicked each board from our samples, discontinued items and factory seconds. We hope our small contribution helps the participants in the program with their journey.”
Tom Bodett’s story is deeply intertwined with the ethos of the Recovery Boards Project. “I owe my sobriety to my woodworking, and I owe my woodworking to my sobriety,” Bodett has been making things with his hands for his entire life. In his childhood years, he found comfort and companionship helping his father, Peter Bodett, with home renovations, and he continued to hone his skills as an adult by building houses in Alaska. However, it was during his early sobriety in Alaska that he began to embrace the finer aspects of working with wood. After 10 years of working in Alaska, Bodett moved with his family to Southern Vermont in 2003. There, Bodett found solace, strength, and stability in crafting beautiful pieces from native Vermont woods—a practice that continues to help him heal and grow to this day.
Although Bodett is widely recognized for his successful career as a writer, radio personality, and voice actor, he always felt a deeper connection to woodworking, which he never fully explored until he found recovery. Bodett authored several books, including As Far As You Can Go Without a Passport and The End of the Road. He also became a household name as the spokesperson for Motel 6, famously ending commercials with his signature line, “We’ll leave the light on for you.” He has been a regular contributor to NPR’s All Things Considered, and a regular panelist on the weekend news quiz, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! He is also a storyteller and host at The Moth storytelling events across the country.
Despite his success in the entertainment field, it is woodworking that brings him true fulfillment, laying the foundation for the Recovery Boards Project. Bodett adds that woodworking helped him replace the unhealthy patterns that dragged him down over the course of his battle with SUD with a productive and fulfilling hobby. “After I stopped drinking, I pulled my tools back out, and I started woodworking earnestly.” This hands-on activity provided a therapeutic outlet, as well as a sense of real-world accomplishment that supported his recovery. “My writing and performance career is rewarding, for sure, but vaporous,” observes Bodett. “The things I make now light me up. I’m a better woodworker than I ever was a writer.”
Justin Johnston also sees the Recovery Boards Project as a beautiful metaphor for the core principles of recovery. “We’re taking what many might perceive as a discarded, non-usable item, and shaping into something beautiful that people appreciate and see value in. As people in recovery from SUD, we’re all in the process of a similar journey in our own lives.” Johnston believes that the Recovery Boards Project will prove to be an excellent tool for participants, helping them build resilience and confidence. “Recovery teaches us to overcome challenges and find pride in our work.”
Johnston, who is in long-term recovery himself, has overcome an extensive criminal history and debilitating struggle with SUD, emerging as an upstanding and productive member of his community in Windham County. He will channel his lived experience into the collaborative oversight of the project, working closely with Bodett and the HatchSpace team. According to Johnston, the Recovery Boards Project perfectly incorporates keystone tenets of recovery. “It’s all about accountability, showing up on time, being present, and facing trials and tribulations. Just like life in recovery, making these boards takes real determination. We might mess up the first time, but we can still get back up again and learn from our mistakes.” By working on these projects, individuals in recovery can learn valuable life skills that extend beyond the workshop.
The project also seeks to challenge and reduce the stigma surrounding SUD on a broader scale. By partnering openly with respected local businesses like J.K. Adams, HatchSpace is creating fantastic opportunities for individuals in recovery to demonstrate their worth and capabilities. Johnston underscores the importance of this: “If we are able to provide more opportunities for folks to create value in their lives, to feel proud of themselves, and to feel that sense of worth, that is going to continue to motivate individuals to stick to their path of recovery, wellness, and health.”
Bodett agrees that the collaboration can help reduce the stigma, and too often, the shame associated with recovery. “The Recovery Boards project and its participants are not outliers in our mission at HatchSpace. We are a woodworking shop. It’s all we do – and we’re pretty good at it. We don’t care if you’re here to stay sober or because you want to build a bookshelf for your husband’s office. At the end of the day, we’re all dusty with glue on our fingers. Welcome to our club!”
Johnston will directly participate in the Recovery Boards Project workshops. He will also hold grounding awareness exercises at the beginning of each Recovery Boards making session. By doing so, he will ensure that participants remain connected to their recovery process throughout the program. His presence and guidance will provide an additional layer of support, helping participants to stay focused and engaged. By working with Turning Point of Windham County and J.K. Adams, HatchSpace has built a strong foundation for the still-developing Recovery Boards Project. Through this program, HatchSpace is helping participants rebuild their lives and communities with purposeful pride, contributing to the collective wellness and prosperity of their local community.
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