When there is food in the refrigerator, it s yours. Hot dogs from a barbecue cooked days before attract a small crowd. The lucky few stop to enjoy the leftover meal while sitting on a yellow, threadbare couch.
People come and go, sometimes several times a day.
Each person, new or familiar, gets the same greeting. In recovery, a hug is hello. Welcome to the Reality Alumni Center. The small space, made up mainly of an office, meeting room and hallway, is connected to a complex of Stanislaus County buildings in Modesto. It s operated outside of county control, entirely by volunteers.