Albuquerque sobriety club must raise $18K for improvements or close its doors

A gathering site for support groups helping people dealing with substance abuse is in need of some repairs, or it could be forced to shut its doors, representatives said.

“This would be terrible because it gives people suffering from alcoholism and other substance issues a place to go,” Desert Club of Albuquerque Vice President Robert Boughton said.

The Desert Club of Albuquerque at 4305 Mesa Grande SE needs to raise $18,000 to fix its parking lot and sidewalk. The club, which opened in 1957, is where substance abuse support groups meet a couple of times a day and host events.

Club member John D. said he has been sober for 15 years after being arrested for driving drunk. “It’s going to those meetings that has been so important to my sobriety,” he said.

The city of Albuquerque’s municipal code and insurance companies require property owners to maintain their onsite parking area and sidewalks, which have to be in “good, level condition and clear of obstructions, including cracks, floats, depressions and other defects,” a Desert Club news release states.

The deadline to make the repairs is Aug. 25.

The insurance company will grant an extension “provided the club has raised all or most of the funds needed for the repairs,” according to the news release.

“We are in the unprecedented position of having to reach out to the community to supplement the donations already pledged by our own members,” Desert Club of Albuquerque President Kindyl Sager said in a statement, “and we are praying for a good response in time for the insurance company to grant us a reprieve, so we’ll have more than a couple of weeks to raise the funds needed.”

Club members have raised about $9,500. A GoFundMe account has been created to help cover the rest.

Licensed contractors willing to donate their services in lieu of financial contributions or at discounted rates can contact treasurer Sean Dobbins at 505-923-0175 or Boughton at 505-261-6718.