We Started Agape Because We Believe in You

Agape House was not created as a business.

It was built from a calling.

Kimberly Schaffer didn't start Agape because she saw an opportunity — she started it after spending over three decades witnessing a truth most people overlook:

“Recovery works… but only when the environment supports it.”

Raised in the foothills of San Bernardino, California, Kimberly was grounded in strong values — family, faith, hard work, and resilience. But like many she would later help, her own path included hardship.

After facing personal challenges that led her into a court-ordered sober living program, everything changed. What could have been the end became a turning point. Through structure, accountability, and support, she rebuilt her life — completing probation, clearing her record, and choosing a new path forward.

That path became her life's work.

Beginning her recovery journey in 1994, Kimberly went on to earn certifications in drug and alcohol studies, corrections in criminal justice, and victim services and domestic violence. She worked as a certified addiction treatment counselor, managed sober living homes, and collaborated with respected professionals across the recovery field.

So she built one.

In 2003, in Costa Mesa — a community she knows and loves deeply — Kimberly founded her first sober living home. What began as a single home has grown into a trusted network of residences throughout Orange County, now operating as Agape House LLC.

With over 30 years of experience in recovery and treatment, Kimberly has helped support hundreds of individuals on their path to sobriety.

Today, Agape House provides more than just housing. It offers a structured, accountable, and supportive environment designed to protect and strengthen recovery at its most critical stage.

Residents live in a stable setting with clear expectations, peer support, and daily accountability — creating the foundation needed for long-term success.

“Because what happens after treatment is just as important as what happens during it.”

Families trust Agape House because it combines lived experience with real structure — where compassion and accountability work together to create lasting change.

Dear friend,

If you're reading this, you're already braver than you know. Reaching out — even just looking at a website — takes courage. I see that courage in you.

I want you to know what you can expect from us at Agape: You will be treated with dignity. You will be safe. You will be loved — not because of what you've accomplished, but because of who you are.

We will be honest with you. We will hold you accountable. And we will walk beside you on the hardest days, because we know from experience that those days are where the real growth happens.

You are not your past. You are not your addiction. You are a person deserving of a beautiful life — and I believe with everything I have that you can build one.

With love,

Kimberly Schaffer

Founder, Agape Sober Living

A professional credential for addiction counselors in California, signifying that the holder has met all certification requirements for alcohol and other drug (AOD) counseling and holds an Associate Degree or higher. This is a state-recognized, NCCA-accredited certification.

Additional Certifications & Training