It all came about when John Akar, co-owner of Cava Tapas and Wine Bar in Portsmouth, NH, was invited to attend a round table discussion on the opioid crisis in the Seacoast, by Renee Plummer, VP Marketing for Two International Group. After the meeting, which was attended by local business leaders, law enforcement and social services leaders, a light bulb idea went off for John. He knew that Sandi Coyle had a vision for a recovery center — but had no place to land. He told her to keep him informed and that once she had a location for the center, he would spearhead the effort to bring the robust Portsmouth Hospitality community together in support of this important cause. Fast forward to July 12, 2016 and the Grand Opening of the Safe Harbor Recovery Center on Islington Street in Portsmouth. The vision is now a reality. And, like all small nonprofits, will need support to remain viable. Enter Hungry for Hope, an evening where you can enjoy food from up to twenty local restaurants, along with wine and beer from all over the world – all at One Harbour Place, owned by Plummer and her company, Two International Group.
Our goal for this year’s event is to surpass last year’s fundraising efforts of $100,000. All funds will benefit Safe Harbor Recovery Center, with a portion this year directed towards their work program, which helps place recovering addicts back into the workforce. The Center’s job placement efforts were recently featured on NBC’s Nightly News Report with Lester Holt. Watch the program here to learn more about this statewide approach to battling our opioid crisis. Beyond the money, Akar and Plummer, hope to set an example. They understand that one event will not solve the drug epidemic, but they want to demonstrate a new way of thinking about a solution. By pulling together so many leaders in the Seacoast, they hope the Seacoast will lead the way to show how a community can work together to make a dent in the problem. And, they hope that this demonstration of community support will become a bigger part of the solution by raising awareness and offering hope.
John Akar is the Co-Owner and General Manager of the wildly popular Cava Tapas and Wine Bar, located on Commercial Alley in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He is a native of the Seacoast and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore School of Business and Economics. John is actively involved in the community and serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce. He’s pictured here with Cava Co-Owner and Executive Chef Gregg Sessler. The duo have received numerous accolades for their unique cuisine and creative flare.
