When Jon Ruby found himself homeless and an addict in 2005, his life felt meaningless.
“I drowned my life with drugs and alcohol,” he told CTV News.
But today, in recovery with the help of a treatment program, he’s better than ever. And as the founder of Carlington Booch, a small-batch kombucha brewery, he’s helping others too.
“This company gives my life meaning,” he said. “It gives me purpose.”
Ottawa-based Carlington Booch isn’t just about brewing the fermented tea beverage -- they sell three flavours, including root beer, ginger and regular -- but about giving back and changing the stigma around addiction.
The brewery is run by volunteers and paid employees who have all been touched by addiction, to help them “booch the gap as they become contributing members of society,” as the Carlington Booch website reads.
Their universal stories are even illustrated on the bottles themselves, said Ruby: “Addiction affects everybody. The guy that’s sticking needles in his arm downtown, the girl that’s trapped in an addicted relationship, and the kids whose lives are affected,” he said.
The team is encouraged to take time off for court dates or to see their sponsor if needed. For employee Rita Hutchinson, it has fostered a necessary community for people in recovery.
“As an addict, I can feel isolated very quickly. Isolation is not always good,” she said. “It’s really good to be able to have a community I can reach out to if I need to -- for the good things and the bad things.”
A portion of all proceeds are donated to local recovery programs and other Ottawa initiatives to fight addiction. It’s a small business with a big heart.
“The business model is making an impact in our communities and in our neighbourhood but then into the lives of recovering alcoholics and drug addicts,” said Ruby. “We’re not here to focus on the income, but the impact.”
