|
Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.
~Mahatma Gandhi | | |
|
| |
Endurance is nobler than strength, and patience than beauty.
~John Ruskin |
| |
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.
~Helen Keller |
| | |
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience,
but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
~Martin Luther King, Jr. |
| | |
| Definition of a hero
he·ro Pronunciation Key (hîro) n. pl. he·roes
1. In mythology and legend, a person, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed
with great courage and strength, celebrated for their bold exploits, and
favored by the gods.
2. A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.
|
|
|
Thursday, May 27, 2011 Volume 3, Issue 25
Our primary focus is our own recovery and rebuilding our own lives. We will lead by example and not interfere with another's recovery. |
|
The HERO House Observes 5TH Anniversary | |
Celebrating 5 years of providing a recovery residence for college students in early sobriety, HERO House will host its 5th Anniversary Gala at the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta, GA.
With thousands of college students struggling with substance abuse and addiction, HERO House has provided a safe, supportive, and substance free environment for students in recovery who wish to maintain long-term sobriety. HERO House guides students on their path to staying sober, continuing their education and learning the skills necessary to be positive and productive members of society.
The 5TH Anniversary Gala will be held at 6pm on Sunday, May 29th at the historically treasured Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta, GA. Alumni and current HERO House residents and their families, recovery and addiction field professionals and friends and supporters of HERO House are expected to gather for this highly anticipated event.
A silent auction to benefit the Harry DeBray Scholarship Fundwill precede dinner and dancing. The Fund has been instrumental in helping college students who have completed treatment, are not quite ready to return to their original campus, but have a desire to maintain their sobriety and continue their education at HERO House.
Dinner will be catered by Proof of the Pudding, one of Atlanta's acclaimed and award winning catering companies followed by music and dancing provided by Spectrum Entertainment.
The event is HERO House's first Gala celebrating its success and expansion since 2006. Beginning in a house with 4 beds in Kennesaw, GA, HERO House has grown to accommodate over 25 students throughout 5 houses in the greater Atlanta area and 2 houses accommodating over 15 students in Orange County, CA. With the success rate of students staying sober through HERO House's peer-to-peer recovery model and supportive environment, the Gala will commemorate the swift growth of the company and future expansion to meet the needs of college students struggling with addiction across the US. |
|
| |
Memorial Day, which is observed on the last Monday of May, commemorates the men and women who died while in the military service. In observance of the holiday, many people visit cemeteries and memorials, and volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at national cemeteries. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time.
How to Observe
The "Memorial" in Memorial Day has been ignored by too many of us who are beneficiaries of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Often we do not observe the day as it should be, a day where we actively remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice:
· by visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.
· by visiting memorials.
· by flying the US Flag at half-staff until noon.
· by flying the 'POW/MIA Flag' as well (Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act).
· by participating in a "National Moment of Remembrance": at 3 p.m. to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day, and for Taps to be played. · by renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our felled dead, and to aid the disabled veterans
This would help greatly to return the solemn meaning back to the day, and to help return minds and hearts to think upon the ultimate sacrifices made by those in service to our country. Just one day out of the year to honor our loved ones, our ancestors, our friends who died in conflicts and wars -- not to honor war, but those that died in those conflicts and wars.
Memorial Day History
Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans - the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) - established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.
The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
The ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.
Official Birthplace Declared
In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the "birthplace" of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored local veterans who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff. Supporters of Waterloo's claim say earlier observances in other places were either informal, not community-wide or one-time events.
By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day, and the Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observance at their facilities.
It was not until after World War I, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, though it is still often called Decoration Day. It was then also placed on the last Monday in May, as were some other federal holidays.
Memorial Day Today
The crowd attending the first Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery was approximately the same size as those that attend today's observance, about 5,000 people. Then, as now, small American flags were placed on each grave - a tradition followed at many national cemeteries today. In recent years, the custom has grown in many families to decorate the graves of all departed loved ones.
The origins of special services to honor those who die in war can be found in antiquity. The Athenian leader Pericles offered a tribute to the fallen heroes of the Peloponnesian War over 24 centuries ago that could be applied today to the 1.1 million Americans who have died in the nation's wars: "Not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men."
To ensure the sacrifices of America 's fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law "The National Moment of Remembrance Act," P.L. 106-579, creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance. The commission's charter is to "encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity" by encouraging and coordinating commemorations in the United States of Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.
The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. As Moment of Remembrance founder Carmella LaSpada states: "It's a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day." |
|
| |
 Is there something you wish you had done earlier? Although you can't go back to the past and get it done, you can take a valuable lesson from it.
Tomorrow, you may very well be wishing that you had done some particular thing today. Fortunately, you still have the opportunity to do it.
Looking ahead to next month, or next year, what actions will you wish you had already taken? Now is your chance to change each of them from a future wish into present reality.
Today, with your actions, you can make those future wishes come true. Today, you can avoid the painful regrets that would otherwise be headed your way.
What once seemed like a distant future has already come and gone. What you now consider to be the future is fast approaching, and can benefit greatly from what you choose to do with this day.
What can you do today that you'll soon thank yourself for doing? Instead of empty wishes and painful regrets, fill your future with sincere gratitude for what you're doing with right now.
~Ralph Marston |
|
| |
Open House
On Tuesday, May 17th HERO House, CA had an Open House. Invitees included professionals from local treatment centers and therapists who had the opportunity to network over small bites, sandwiches and macaroons after having the grand tour of our new house in Costa Mesa. Our guests common reaction to this amazing LEED Platinum house with a quad area that emulates college living was, jokingly, "when can I move in?" Since we have beds available the answer is "today" - although not for treatment staff and therapists - but for their clients who want a supportive environment to balance school with recovery. The Open House served as a launching point for monthly networking luncheons that we are initiating. Given the turnout and success of our first Open House, we expect these lunch and learns to be fulfilling and fruitful (pun intended).
_____________________________________________________________________________________
A calm mind fosters clear seeing, which is another way of saying that if we practice mindfulness, we will have less self-deception. We learn to be honest, and delusions fall away. When we sit in meditation, we observe our mind, watching the thoughts pass through, all the mental traffic honking, swerving, and cutting in. We practice holding "bare attention" toward the thoughts and feelings that arise, accepting them with kindness and non-judgment.
--from Mindfulness and the 12 Steps
|
|
|
Upcoming Events in Atlanta
*The HERO House 5-Year Celebration Gala
Sunday, May 29, 2011
6:00 pm @ Margaret Mitchell House
Silent Auction for the Scholarship Fund, Guest Speakers, Dinner, Music and Dancing
If you would like to be included on the invitation list, please email Kelly Moselle, Director, Atlanta Campus at Kelly@HeroHouse.com .
Please SAVE THE DATE. We look forward to celebrating with you!
*Street Meals
Sunday, June 5, 2011
11 am- 2 pm
The HERO House in partnership with Kashi Atlanta in their Street Meals program for several years now. Street Meals helps alleviate hunger for the homeless population in Atlanta. Street Meals is supported by a dedicated corps of volunteers who are committed to seva - selfless service - as an extension of their yoga practice. Teaching people about the joy of community service is a part of our commitment.
The first Sunday of every month The HERO House residents and staff make and distribute over 250 sack lunches to Atlanta's homeless. The HERO House wanted to create a service opportunity for our residents as we believe that being of service is a major component in bringing about lasting recovery. When discussing how to bring this project to fruition we turned to Kashi Atlanta for support.
We at The HERO House look forward to being part of the change we wish to see in the world!
* District 13's Annual Fun & Fellowship Potluck
6 pm, Saturday, June 11
Rock Spring Presbyterian Church
1824 Piedmont Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA (in the Fellowship Hall)
Following Dinner, Elise M. will be the Keynote Speaker sharing about her 23 years in recovery,from Alateen to Al-Anon.
* GCYPAA
June 17 - 19
Hilton Garden Inn of Kennesaw, GA
GCYPAA is an annual A.A. Conference. GCYPAA stands for the Georgia Conference by Young People inAlcoholics Anonymous.
The Conference is a weekend celebration of recovery from alcoholism hosted by a group of recovered
alcoholics that are trying to carry the message of recovery, unity and service to those who suffer from
alcoholism. Generally, the Conference takes place at a hotel in Georgia and features large speaker
meetings, entertainment, workshops, AA meetings and other sober activities that celebrate our
recovery from alcoholism.
Each year, the Conference is hosted by a "Host Committee" representing a particular city or area. At theConference, the next group to host GCYPAA is selected. In this way, the Conference travels the state ofGeorgia. Those interested in Conference history are encouraged to consult the archives displayed at theConference and on the Conference website, www.gcypaa.org.
*Habitat For Humanity
A Journey that Can Change a Life Forever...
June 26-July 7
Collegiate Challenge is Habitat for Humanity's year-round alternative break program that provides opportunities for students from youth groups, high schools and colleges to spend a week of their school break building a house in partnership with a Habitat for Humanity affiliate in the United States.
A Collegiate Challenge trip may be the best school break trip you will ever have. Not only do you help people in need - it's also fun!
The HERO House recognizes the power of a truly alternative break, giving students the opportunity to not only have a great time on an affordable trip, but to do so while making a difference. Participants will enjoy being able to clearly see the impact their hearts and hands can have on a Habitat for Humanity house and its host community in just one week.
We look forward to taking our residents on this service trip. While in Augusta, not only will we work with Habitat, we will explore the culture and history of this enduring city. We will set aside the time for 12-Step Meetings in the Central Savannah River Area. We look forward to our HEROes becoming heroes for the week in Augusta!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Save The Dates
The Summer Family Weekend will be held June 24-26. Please SAVE THE DATE for the weekend. We will begin the weekend with a Social Event on Friday evening. Saturday will be filled with workshops for the family and for residents. Sunday will offer opportunity for individual families to meet with staff to discuss your resident. I look forward to seeing you all at our next Family Weekend. California Families are invited to attend the Family Weekend activities.
Hotel for Family Weekend
We have arranged for a HERO House rate at the Springhill Suites by Marriott for Family Weekend. Conveniently located a mile from our campus, it is a wonderful facility. Their website is www.springhillsuites.com/atlkn. You may reserve your suite for $89.00 by contacting the Kennesaw Springhill Suites at 770-218-5550 and ask for the HERO House rate.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway."
~Mary Kay Ash |
|
About The HERO House
The HERO House is a recovery residence for college students in early sobriety. We serve men and women in separate residences, based upon Peer-to-Peer Recovery Support, grounded in the 12-Step process. The HERO House is a community of students in recovery, sharing life experiences and helping each other achieve long term, quality sobriety and a manner of living that will make them outstanding contributors to our society.
Additionally, at the Higher Education Recovery Option, we work with students to return to school and to find the tools necessary to be successful while sober, on a college campus. We tell residents at intake that our program is typically a one-year program; however, we recognize some residents will finish early and some will need additional time. To successfully complete our program, residents need to complete a 12-Step Program, successfully complete one full-time semester of college, and to advance through all four of our levels of competency at The HERO House. |
|
|
