Couve Collective Expands Healing Space in Downtown Vancouver with SWACH Support
At the heart of recovery is community—and Couve Collective is making space for it.
With funding from SWACH’s Collaborative Funding Model, The Sober Place dba Couve Collective will grow its capacity to serve Clark County residents through its Recovery Café model. This funding will support new staff, expanded transportation access, and a stronger foundation for one of the region’s most inclusive community spaces for healing.
Couve Collective serves people who are often left out of traditional systems: those experiencing houselessness, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ community members, low-income families, and individuals working toward recovery. Their space is more than just a café— it’s a safe place to connect, find support, and start again.
Meeting the Moment with Growth
Over the last year, Couve Collective saw a 43% increase in membership, with more than 5,000 individual entries into their café space. To meet that growth without compromising their trauma-informed approach, the organization will use the funding to:
Hire a dedicated Café Manager to oversee daily operations, support staff, and maintain a welcoming environment;
Add a Wellness Coach to their growing SAGA (Support, Accountability, Goals, Authenticity) program—a 9-month initiative that helps individuals navigate change, build stability, and reclaim purpose;
Rent a passenger van to ensure members have transportation to appointments, group activities, and program events.
While many changes help improve the organizations functions, they’re also about helping members feel connected, supported, and empowered in their journey toward recovery and stability.
Community-Led, People-Centered
About 72% of Couve Collective’s members are unhoused, and virtually all live below the poverty line. Many identify as people of color or LGBTQIA+, and the organization is intentionally built “by and for” the communities it serves. Programs like Room for Change (housing support) and SAGA (personal transformation) have grown out of direct feedback and lived experience.
Couve Collective’s leadership reflects this lived experience, combining professional training in counseling and recovery with deep personal understanding of the challenges community members face.
A Shared Vision
SWACH’s funding is part of a broader effort to support trauma-informed, communityrooted health initiatives that reflect the lived experiences of people most impacted by health and housing disparities.
Learn more about the Couve Collective at: couvecollective.org/
Learn more about Collaborative Funding Model recipients at: southwestach.org/cfm