Christmas Reflection
My wife is convinced that I am a Grinch. I’ll grant, the season does tend to bring out my "snark," blackening my visage even beyond its normal hue of “curmudgeon-dark.” But if I see one more ridiculous bow on top of some ridiculously expensive car, or one more family of beautiful people jumping through a bullseye of red and white, I’ll melt down. She gives me permission to carp at Christmas ads like one might parcel out pills to a dotard.
Of course, I wouldn’t be the first to have noticed something of a distance having grown between, say, the Book of Matthew and Black Friday. For that matter, I’m still hard-pressed to know how to squeeze that “camel-on-our-front-lawn” through the proverbial needle’s-eye. Still there’s no denying it, we’re “in the season” and it seems inappropriate to not make mention of it somehow—hopefully without another invective toward the tv screen.
Truth is, I love Christmas—no, I think I love the spartan truth of it. What I love about Christmas is what I love about Road2RecoveryCNY. To me they represent one and the same.
Words do funny things. They coagulate like red blood cells and they spin off like aberrant electrons. Capturing the serious within their Cheshire mirages can be so very daunting. The more serious the matter the more the words sound like melodies sung way too often: words like ‘love’ and ‘gratitude.’
But, the spartan truth of Christmas lies in our capacity to engage others lovingly: everyone—those whose lives or life-styles we find noxious, whose values we might even abhor, as well as those we find to our liking—admirable and beautiful as we take them to be. To engage the other lovingly: it is to enact love, acknowledging that love is not a feeling that can sit back and watch. Loving is something one does. It is to engage others—all of them—with an unchecked commitment toward enhancing
their
dignity, to enhancing the quality of
their
lives. It is to advance
their
humanity—literally, to do all one can to help them toward humanizing
thei
r lives.
It is, quite simply, to live in accordance with Christ’s commandment—his “new testament.” The gift of Christmas
is
the new testament—not just the word of it but the power to live it.
But this is not the new testament because it is found in The New Testament or any other holy writ. It is the new testament precisely because it emanates, not from words, but from the very heart of being human. It isn’t true because Christian gospel says it. Christian gospel says it because it is true.
To humanize our lives just
is
to render them open to and capable of this very love.
From where I sit, working for Road2RecoveryCNY is celebrating Christmas every time we get down to work. And each time I remember the vision of Matthew on that concert stage the other night, I know I’m right!
(rjf) (picture: Monet's
magpie
)
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NOTICES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:
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THINGS HAVE BEEN BUSY AT R2RCNY!
Candidates #21, David, and #22, Elijah, are leaving for treatment this month. Our best to both of you!
- On Nov. 4, Darlene spoke to high school students at the New Vision Program in Oswego, some of whom volunteered at our cycling event.
- On Nov. 6, Darlene spoke to Mission of the Month Committee, Dewitt Community Church, to apply to be one of the charities that they support.
- On Nov 7, Darlene met with Ashley Forshee, Development Director for HELIO, about ways to collaborate. She facilitated contact with their halfway houses so that a dozen or so residents could attend our concert, Stayin’ Alive.
- On Nov 22, we held our Second Annual Benefit Concert, Stayin’ Alive. (See below.)
- On Nov 25, Darlene visited Victory House and attended a meeting of the LIFT Oswego County Task Force in Oswego. Volunteer Robyn Proud attended also and will begin volunteering to collaborate with this organization in hopes of setting up our own sober home.
- On this note, Robyn is heading up the Taskforce on the Sober Living Home and they have been meeting this fall as they explore/research/brainstorm this project.
- On Nov 26, Mike Tomushunas, our intern, helped develop our annua Christmas appeal letter, while Karen Ayoub and Darlene addressed almost 200 envelopes. Maher Najjar and Amanda Grant helped stuff the envelopes which went out in the mail on Nov 30. Last year this effort raised about $7,000 and we hope it will be successful again this year.
- NEED A NEW CAR? On Nov 9, Darlene met with salesmen at Romano Subaru to describe Road2RecoveryCNY. Subaru is hosting a nationwide sales event, “Share the Love”, in which they make a donation to one of several national or local charities for every car sold or leased. Romano Subaru selected R2RCNY as the local charity this year. The event runs November 14 - Jan 2. Encourage your friends to purchase their next car at Romano Subaru and select R2RCNY as the recipient of the donation.
- On December 11, the Volunteers of R2RCNY held their annual Stocking Stuffing Christmas Gathering. (See below.)
- The R2RCNY Planning Committee will meet on Dec 16, at 5:00 p.m. to continue their efforts to plan out the events of our calendar year 2020. The meeting will take place at CNYCF Marsellus Room.
- There will be a sober social event on January 11, 2020, at Rutgers house in Utica. It is a game night and the purpose is to help residents of the halfway house practice social skills with people outside of their recovery circle. It will be a fun evening! For more information contact Darlene.
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- On Thanksgiving morning Darlene attended a special fundraising yoga session hosted by Colleen Lagasse of the In Bloom Yoga Studio. By virtue of her efforts Colleen was able to donate $550 to R2RCNY.
THANK YOU, COLLEEN!!
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CELEBRATION TIME
COME ON!
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<<CONGRATULATIONS TO US ALL!>>
STAYIN' ALIVE
A SMASHING SUCCESS!
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TO OUR WONDERFUL PERFORMERS AND GUESTS
OUR
SINCEREST GRATITUDE!
THANK YOU FOR A LOVELY EVENING!
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TO ALL OUR HARDWORKING AND COMMITTED
VOLUNTEERS:
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- TERRY & ROB FLOWER
- MAHER NAJJAR
- BARBARA BRACE
- MIKE TOMUSHUNAS
- ED GABRIEL
- DARLENE ENDY
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- AMANDA GRANT
- CONNIE CAROCCI
- ANNE GLENNY
- COLLEEN BUXTON
- CAROLINE DESOCIO
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(GRAPHIC DESIGN)
(VIDEO/PHOTOGRAPHY)
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OUR MOST ENTHUSIASTIC
THANK YOU!!
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TO OUR
HOPE
SPONSORS:
THE RHONE FAMILY
RHS, Consulting Design, LL.C.
THANK YOU
SO VERY MUCH!
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TO OUR
COURAGE
SPONSORS:
THE MORLOCK FAMILY
THE NAJJAR FAMLY
THE BOUSQUET FAMLY
KATE GRIFFIN, and
The Jacob Brewster House
CARLOS MEDISPA
CARLOS SALON
A MANO
THANK YOU
SO VERY MUCH!
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AND TO OUR SUPPORTING ADVERTISERS
AND
TO EVERYONE ELSE WHO GAVE SO GENEROUSLY
TO OUR EVENING
AND TO OUR
CAUSE
THANK YOU!
IN ALL, WITH EVERYONE'S HELP
OUR EVENING BROUGHT IN OVER
$10,000
(which has already been put to work on behalf of our latest recipients.)
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<<<<< A STOCKING-STUFFING "MEET" >>>>>>
ROAD2RECOVERYCNY VOLUNTEERS muster at Fleet Feet to give a "blush" of Christmas cheer to needy folks at Catholic Charities Mens Shelter and to persons infIrmed (for opioid-related conditions) at Upstate Hospital.
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The gathering was so very well attended with everyone pitching in wherever they could, filling stockings and packing them up for delivery before Christmas.
A lovely meal was provided (sort of potluck in style) and everyone seemed to leave with a good hit of Christmas cheer and another vibe of gratitude!
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OUR NEXT VOLUNTEER MEETING
January 14, 2020, 6:30 p.m.
AT
FLEET FEET
PLEASE COME!
- Colleen asks that everyone please place the following dates in their calendars. These are the next set of scheduled Volunteer Meetings.
January 14
February 22
March 10
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Remember our new segment to this newsletter-- "MY TURN." It provides a space wherein we will publish notes and comments submitted by our readership. Each of you is invited to submit your thoughts on matters germaine to our organization and work. In particular, we would love to hear back from you with your thoughts about what has been presented within the newsletter itself. We shall do our best to publish these--with, of course, a tad of editorial discretion. To submit your comment simply email it to
r
[email protected]
.
Let's get the conversation going!
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Board of Directors Meeting #9
December 11, 2019, 5:00 p.m., at Fleet Feet in Dewitt
- Minutes from meeting #8 accepted and passed
- Welcome to new members: Sue McMahon, Tom Travis (on conference)
- Financial Report
- Alternate Facility (Atlanta) discussion
- Voted Tommy DeSocio on Board as Alumni Member
- Discussion of Oswego Volunteers
- Discussion of Methadone Issues
- Review of Stayin' Alive
- Honor Agreement
- Discussion of Conflict of Interest Documents
Time and Location for Next Meetings:
- Wednesday, January 8, 2020, 5:00 p.m. - CNYCF 3d Floor Conference Room
- Wednesday, February 5, 2020, 5:00 p.m. - CNYCF 3d Floor Conference Room
- Wednesday, March 4, 2020, 5:00 p.m. - CNYCF 3d Floor Conference Room
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Living in Syracuse, working full-time
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Guest speaker at
Stayin' Alive
. Thank you, Matthew!!
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Was our featured speaker at
Setting the Stage.
Thank you!!
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Still working full-time in home restoration
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Living in Syracuse-working on her recovery
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Began cosmetology school and works part-time as a waiter
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Completing rehab near Austin
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..................................................
Zachery is in detox at Makana Path in Austin
No picture yet
...................................................
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GoFundMe Campaign (Don't forget!)
Now it's even easier to donate to help save lives. Just click on the GoFundMe words below. Be sure to share the link with all your friends and contacts! Our goal is to raise $25,000, enough to pay for 90 days of
treatment, 90 days of sober living, and 90 days of sober coaching, plus airfare, prescriptions, etc. for each person we are fortunate enough to send down to treatment. That's six months of care, after which recipients are working and self-supporting. It is an amazing amount of money but so very worth it!
"One Life at a Time!"
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Donate Your Bottles & Cans
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Be sure to remember to drop off your bags of deposit bottles/cans (with Road2RecoveryCNY written on the side) at:
F-M Returnables at 202 West Seneca Street in Manlius.
315-682-4830
or
Central City Bottle Redemption, 224 Chapel Drive, Syracuse (Fairmount), NY 13219
Every dollar helps us send people to lifesaving treatment!
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