Matthew Thornton
Community Partner & Advocate
His Story
Matthew Thornton is Jarod's brother—and that says a lot in itself. He comes from a background of family trauma, the same soil that shaped his brother's journey.
Matthew spent much of his adult life in the restaurant industry, starting alongside Jarod at Applebee's in Ashland, Kentucky. From there, he worked at various restaurants, private venues, and establishments across the Midwest—Ohio, Kentucky, and beyond. As a bartender, he excelled. He learned the skills to run a bar and waitstaff, and he was good at it.
But the industry that taught him those skills also made his struggle with alcohol harder. Working behind the bar, surrounded by it every day—it was natural that he struggled with the drinking problem he struggled with.
Finding Recovery
Matthew found his own path to recovery. He's now enjoying multiple consecutive years of abstinence from alcohol—real, sustained recovery that he built for himself.
In getting clean, he's been healing wounds. Spending time with his brother Jarod. Rebuilding what was broken. And in that process, he decided to pivot in his own career.
His Role with C8
Matthew has joined his brother Jarod in C8 Community Work—helping with the passion project that grew from Jarod's own recovery journey. He brings his hospitality experience, his understanding of what it means to work in high-pressure environments, and most importantly, his lived experience of recovery.
He's also part of the Adopt the Web team, contributing to the same work that built the brand on community trust.
Years of experience managing bar operations and waitstaff
Multiple years of sustained recovery from alcohol
Jarod's brother—healing and rebuilding together
Choosing purpose over industry, community over career
Connect
Learn more about Matthew's work with Adopt the Web or reach out about C8 Community Work.