Des Moines Recovery Nonprofit Serves 55,000 in Just 4 Years

When Cindy West started Full Circle Recovery in 2022, she had no staff, no office supplies, and couldn't have imagined the organization would touch tens of thousands of lives in just four years.

Last Friday, the peer-led recovery nonprofit celebrated its new Recovery Community Center in Des Moines with 200 people flooding through the doors. Some had to park in overflow spots just to get inside the standalone building at 5601 Douglas Avenue.

Full Circle offers emotional, informational and practical support services for people affected by substance abuse and their families. The organization connects people to recovery support through community events, a Corrections Recovery Coaching Program, and a post-overdose response program called REACH.

The new building brings all these services under one roof for the first time. Previously, the Des Moines center operated out of a suite in a larger building on Merle Hay Road.

West told attendees that over the past two and a half years, Full Circle has served nearly 55,000 people in recovery and their allies. The nonprofit now runs recovery community centers in Des Moines and Council Bluffs, plus satellite locations in Ankeny, Harlan and Neola.

The Ripple Effect

Katey Rascon's story shows how recovery builds on itself in beautiful ways. She first connected with Full Circle while battling her own addiction, which stemmed from depression and grief after years of substance abuse.

After gaining sobriety, Rascon started volunteering at the nonprofit. Then she joined the staff. Now she manages the entire Des Moines center where she once sought help.

Today, Rascon lives with her two young children and says she's grateful for her journey. "The things that I get to accomplish today is amazing," she told the crowd at the opening celebration.

The Friday night event featured a silent auction, dinner, chair massages and live music from Iowa singer-songwriter Robert Deitch. He shared his own recovery story alongside original songs, earning a standing ovation in the packed room.

West reflected on how far the organization has come: "What has been built over these past four years is so much bigger than a building or an organization. We have built a recovery community, and that happened because people believed in what we were doing and chose to be a part of it."

From zero to 55,000 lives touched in four years proves that recovery communities don't just save lives—they multiply hope.