Recovery & Life Experience
You've struggled with addiction, depression, loss, homelessness, abuse, or something else that nearly broke you. And you're still here. That survival is not just personal — it's medicine. Because somewhere out there, right now, someone is in the exact place you used to be. And they need to see a living, breathing human who made it through. You are that proof.
If Any of This Sounds Like You...
Read through these. If you're nodding your head, you're in the right place.
Common questions
The questions volunteers ask most often.
What does recovery and life experience volunteering involve?
Sharing your experience, strength, and hope with community members earlier in their journey — sometimes through formal peer support, sometimes through just showing up and being honest about what worked. We support recovery from addiction, gambling problems, mental health struggles, and major life setbacks.
Do I need a specific amount of clean time or recovery experience?
We follow our partner organizations' guidelines for any formal peer support roles. For informal community presence, we ask that you be in a stable place yourself and unlikely to be destabilized by the work. We're not gatekeepers — we want anyone who's done the work to share it — but we also protect everyone from rushing into roles too early.
What if my experience is with gambling addiction specifically?
That's particularly valuable. Lifes a Gambol exists at the intersection of poker as fun and poker as risk, and we want voices in our community who know the difference firsthand. Your experience is exactly the kind that keeps our brand honest about what we do.
Do I need experience or credentials to volunteer with Lifes a Gambol?
No. We don't ask for resumes, certifications, or background checks for most roles. The only thing we care about is whether you actually want to show up and help. If a particular activity later requires a credential (working directly with kids, for example), we'll let you know and walk you through it together.
How much time do I need to commit?
Whatever you can give. Some volunteers help once a year at a single event. Others are around every week. There's no minimum, no quota, no contract. When you sign up, you tell us your real availability — weekends, evenings, one-time only, remote, whatever — and we match opportunities accordingly. Pledging your name doesn't lock you into anything.
Is this a paid role or volunteer?
Volunteer. Lifes a Gambol is community-driven, and 10% of every dollar that comes in via the brand goes to S.O.G. Helping out is unpaid — but real meals, real friends, and a real sense that you helped someone are all part of the deal.
What happens after I submit the form?
A real human reviews your pledge — usually within a day or two — and reaches out by email or text to say hello, learn a bit more about what you'd want to help with, and let you know about upcoming opportunities that fit. No spam, no automated drip campaigns. We're a small community, and we treat every pledge like it matters, because it does.
Pledge Your Gifts ☘
No contract. No commitment. Just tell us who you are and what you love doing.