As part of our efforts to partner with like-minded organizations and provide ACE Professionals with practical resources and new opportunities to share their physical activity knowledge, ACE has joined forces with The Phoenix. The Phoenix is fueling a movement that builds on the power of community and belonging to change how society approaches addiction and recovery. Through hundreds of weekly sober events and activities, they are creating safe spaces for all individuals to connect, build friendships, find support and have fun.

Like ACE, movement is core to the mission of The Phoenix. Their in-person and livestream events include community walks, trauma-informed yoga and high-intensity interval training sessions, in addition to events like creative writing workshops and recovery meetings, all of which are designed to bring people together as they socialize and provide mutual support.

Jacque Crockford, DHSc, Director of Product Development at ACE, is a volunteer with The Phoenix, facilitating a monthly Mindful Mobility Monday class focused on nervous system regulation, stress resilience and creating positive, accessible movement experiences that help participants reconnect with their bodies in supportive and empowering ways.

“The Phoenix is a natural partner for ACE,” Crockford explains, “because we share a belief that movement and meaningful human connection can be powerful catalysts for long-term health and well-being. This partnership supports several of the ACE 7 Core Drivers of Healthy Living—including moving more, building supportive connections, strengthening stress resilience and cultivating purpose—while creating inclusive spaces where people feel empowered, supported and connected in their health journey.”

Jonathan Prim, Senior Volunteer Manager at The Phoenix agrees: “The Phoenix chose to partner with ACE because we deeply align in our belief that movement, activity and community have the power to transform lives. ACE shares our vision of making wellness accessible to everyone while empowering people to become changemakers within their own communities, which made this partnership feel like a natural fit.”

As part of this collaboration, The Phoenix invited 30 of their volunteers to complete ACE’s Community Physical Activity Leader (CPAL) course and they were able to immediately implement the skills and knowledge gained to lead their physical-activity sessions. The CPAL course is FREE for anyone who’d like to facilitate and promote physical activity to friends, family members, colleagues and neighbors. The goal of this program is to inspire people to be more active in their community, which is a value shared by ACE and The Phoenix.

“The ACE program has helped elevate and strengthen our programming,” explains Prim, “by equipping volunteers with the confidence, knowledge and training to lead safe and impactful activities within their communities. It has also created a meaningful next step for volunteers looking to grow their leadership and deepen their involvement with The Phoenix.”

Check out The Phoenix’s become a change maker page if you’re interested in joining their team of more than 4,000 activated volunteers serving more than 1 million members.