217 Recovery Podcast | More Than a Facebook Post217 Recovery Podcast | More Than a Facebook Post
217 Recovery
Corey Winfield and Cori Smoker return for a raw, funny, and deeply honest episode about recovery, community action, politics, social media outrage, and the real work happening behind the scenes at 217 Recovery. From frustrations with treatment access...
35:03•27 May 2026
More Than a Facebook Post: Corey and Cori on Real Recovery Work
Episode Overview
- Posting political opinions online is no substitute for real-world action to support recovery in local communities.
- Access to treatment is still difficult, and more funding, beds, and practical support are needed for people seeking help.
- Alcohol is described as a major, often minimised drug, and the hosts argue that its harms and profits should be treated as seriously as tobacco and opioids.
- Opening a women’s sober living home shows how individuals in recovery can respond directly to gaps in local services.
- Life in recovery can be deeply fulfilling, opening doors to family, creativity, and meaningful work that once felt impossible.
“"You don't change your community by posting things on Facebook."”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? This episode of 217 Recovery leans into that question with Corey Winfield and returning co-host Cori Smoker swapping blunt, funny, and sometimes exasperated stories from the front lines of recovery work.
Right from the start, Corey calls out performative outrage: "you don't change your community by posting things on Facebook." From there, the chat spirals into politics, policy, and how little any of it helps if people still can’t get into treatment. They talk about lawmakers debating substances like kratom, the hypocrisy around alcohol compared with other drugs, and a system that, in their view, is "based on money and greed" while people in addiction are left fighting for basic care.
You’ll hear how this frustration turns into action. Cori has opened a women’s sober living home in Traverse City for six women, built on rent, jobs, and regular recovery meetings instead of lip service. The pair reflect on 217 Recovery’s transport work, recovery coaching, events, and the daily grind of "just keep showing up every day" even when funding rules make simple things absurdly hard. Amid the rants, there’s loads of warmth and humour.
Corey jokes about banning fish, reminisces about childhood fishing trauma, and shares family news: a new baby boy, Beckett, is on the way. He’s also writing a film and its soundtrack, and he talks candidly about songwriting from painful memories and the joy in creating something new. At its heart, this conversation is about how good life in recovery can feel. Corey sums it up to a friend who still drinks: "I just want you to feel this recovery life.
It is so good." If you’ve ever wondered whether your own recovery—or your community work—really matters, this one might nudge you to ask: are you just posting, or are you showing up?
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