The Pause is a Community Center for Recovery which supports both alcoholics and addicts as well as family members and loved ones of those suffering from substance misuse. We facilitate this by providing a dedicated space for 12-step meetings and year-round sober social activities.
About
Who We Are
The Pause is one of the largest facilities of its type in Massachusetts serving people from Hyannis to Provincetown year-round as well as seasonal visitors from around the world.
Why We Are Here
Since 2020, relapse rates for substance misuse have increased 30% nationwide, as have deaths from overdoses. Alcohol related deaths are up 25%. Within Massachusetts, Barnstable County has consistently had one of the highest levels of substance misuse. It would not be an overstatement to say that substance misuse has touched virtually every family on Cape Cod.
12-step recovery in-person meetings held at The Pause serve all social and economic groups, genders, religious affiliations, race and nationalities. Participants range from 20 to 80+ years of age. Average sobriety within these groups is well north of 10 years of continuous recovery and can range from day 1 to 50+ years of sobriety.
Successful recovery depends upon developing a sober social network, especially for young people. Having a single facility which offers a continuous range of meetings and activities fosters that network development and limits the time a newly sober addict/ alcoholic spends alone. 12-step meetings are known for the adoption of new members into their folds. In fact, it is their mission to help the newly sober individual. According to Alcoholics Anonymous’ statistics, close to 40% of meeting attendees received their very first day of sobriety directly through attending a meeting versus from a recent hospitalization or rehab visit. The sharing of life experiences is a critical factor in successful 12-step meetings.
Alanon Family groups throughout the Cape continue to promote The Pause, which provides a secure and supervised meeting space for Alateen, which is a fellowship of teenagers whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking or substance misuse. It is important to introduce this vulnerable age group to the lifesaving messages delivered in recovery meetings.
Pause A While, Inc. is an all-volunteer organization. To further enrich recovery services at The Pause, we are collaborating with other local non-profits, Recovery Without Walls and Wellstrong to offer modalities such as acupuncture, meditation and yoga.
Pause A While Mission
The Pause is a Community Center for Recovery which supports both alcoholics and addicts as well as family members and loved ones of those suffering from substance misuse. We facilitate this by providing a dedicated space for 12-step meetings and year-round sober social activities.
History
Around 1988, the Cape Cod Council on Alcoholism opened a small facility on Cove Road in Orleans. This meeting space came to be known as Pause A While or “The Pause”. The meetings held at The Pause quickly because very popular and were often standing room only. The various meetings moved briefly to another location before moving to a leased building at 26 Giddiah Hill Road in 2000 for 22 years.
Individuals attending meetings held at The Pause come from all areas of the Cape. In addition, vacationers from across the United States and throughout the world attend meetings while visiting the Cape. In many cases they have been returning to meetings held at The Pause for decades.
In 2011, Pause A While, Inc. was formed to ensure future access to its then location in Orleans. Pause A While, Inc. is an independent nonprofit organization and is not affiliated with any 12-step program or organization. In 2023, we acquired a new building and moved into our new home which is located at 250 Underpass Rd., Brewster, MA
It is important to note that Pause A While Inc. is not affiliated with any 12-step recovery program. Pause A While Inc. is an independent nonprofit organization. All Board Members and Officers are strictly volunteers, and they receive no compensation either directly or indirectly. There are no paid staff.
Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
Joanne Wisniewski
VICE PRESIDENT
Karena Stroh
TREASURER
Karena Stroh (interim)
SECRETARY
Hilary Sandler
GROUP LIAISON
Andrew Fettig
DIRECTORS
Elizabeth (Liz) Kelley
Doug Sivco
Brian Ford
Nanci Borde
EXECUTIVE ADVISOR
Lori Meads, President & CEO Seamen’s Bank
EXECUTIVE ADVISOR
Jim Curran, Director, Cape Cod 5
Reflections
from Visitors at
the Pause
“It’s a safe and secure place to sit and read.”
“A good place to meet with my sponsor.”
“I don’t miss meeting in a dark church basement.”
“I always feel better after a meeting.”
“Disease stole my family; the Alanon Fellowship gave me a new family.”