Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jess Shvedov. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Jess, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

The story behind the mission ‘To Fight Addiction’ started with my husband, Geno Shvedov. His past included drug use in his youth and led to addiction and prison time later in life. After his release in 2016, he was not only sober, he jumped into mixed martial arts and he started his first sober living home, Hazelbrook Sober Living, using the house he grew up in. Today Hazelbrook is one the largest recovery housing organizations in Colorado with over 40 homes through the state. From day one Hazelbrook has been an organization that is ran by people in recovery for people in recovery. But that was only the beginning.

During the pandemic we had houses of people with idle hands, nowhere to go and nothing to do, so we started taking boxing and fitness into the homes. We both have an athletic background and Geno used MMA as part of his own sobriety and recovery program. With this concept, we realized wanted to bring fitness and recovery together and soon after, our non profit ParadigmONE dba Hazelbrook Community Center, was created. It started as a small sober gym but quickly expanded into a community center, including various programs and the ability to offer so much more! We serve the SUD population including unhoused, re-entry, and low to no income in our own Denver area communities that struggle with sobriety, offering them resources, recovery housing support, job placement, care management, court advocacy, peer services, and more. Last year we were blessed to serve over 5000 individuals from the recovery community. We have a peer run detox model that allows men and women a safe space to get clean, where they are provided programming, peer support and care management before transitioning to the next phase of living. Our non-profit is fully funded by grants and donations, the continuous support from our community allows us to expand our footprint and support more struggling individuals in Colorado. Now, we are proud to offer a clinical component with IOP (our program is called ACP) and therapy and are opening our first mental health transitional living house at the end of the year. We are here to meet the needs of the community and support anyone struggling with addiction and mental health in a variety of ways.

Geno’s own lived experience was the catalyst to what ‘Hazelbrook’ is today.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Our mission is to fight addiction. But it goes so much deeper than that. We live in a society that is quick to judge, that turn their back on those they don’t understand, whether out of fear or lack of knowledge. But it’s important to remember that those struggling are PEOPLE. They are your brother, your aunt, your father, your friend or your coworker. We are here with open arms to provide hope, opportunities, grace and support to our clients, but we are also here to carry a voice in the community and impact change by educating others and offering programs and services that reduce recidivism and create successful members of society.

We believe recovery is possible! But, we can’t do it alone, we need our community’s support. Substance use, mental health, the number of unhoused is astronomical in our state. It’s time we stop looking away and start fighting together. Donations are crucial for the success and reach of the programs offered, you can donate at hazelbrookcommunity.org.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Our community. We welcome new clients and residents with open arms and a hug. We work to create a family and support system through our community center, peer groups and sober events like reaching new heights by hiking 14ers, handing out hugs and hope on the streets of Denver, or other pro-social events throughout the week. Our direct care staff have lived experience, which builds trust and the ability to truly walk alongside clients through their individual situations. Outreach is a primary focus, building relationships with community partners and resources to offer the most effective and beneficial support.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One of Geno’s greatest stories and accomplishments that demonstrated his resilience was his MMA journey. While incarcerated he decided to pursue a lifelong dream of not only becoming an MMA fighter but becoming a champion. He was released from prison at 27 years old after spending close to the last 15 years in active addiction and in and out of incarceration. He had almost zero experience in martial arts. Everybody thought he was crazy and nobody believed in his dream. However, he was determined and trained everyday obsessively. He trained more and harder than anyone at his gym and would tell himself daily ‘I will be a champion’. After 4 years he achieved his goal! He defeated one of the best fighters in the state, against all odds. He went on to become a professional fighter and trained with some of the top fighters in the world. This is an example that if you put your mind to something and work at it daily you can achieve great things!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hazelbrooksoberliving.com www.hazelbrookcommunity.org
• Instagram: hazelbrookrecovery
• Facebook: hazelbrookrecovery