This Week @ 39 Serenity Place

Hi Everybody,

So its a been a month since my last note. Time just has a away of slipping by I guess . That combined with the holidays, illness and " I'll do it tomorrow " procrastination! Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and are looking forward to 2023.

This Sunday January 15 after the 1 pm AA Meeting we will serve a ham and anything else that people contribute dinner. We can always count on Stacey S, Tina C. and Ice Cream Steve to keep us stocked up in desserts. Karen M. has supplied us with fantastic meals the last three weeks so we are giving her a break and asking everyone to step up and contribute to the dinner. So other than ham it will be a surprise dinner! We hear Jim R. purchased a DVD player for the clubhouse and is bringing movies Sunday. Thanks Jim Hope to see everyone .

Pass the word ....The Saturday the NA Meeting has changed times from 11:30 am to Noon and has renamed the group to Recovery Warriors!! Thanks to Hannah H for establishing the meeting. We appreciate all that you were able to do. Also thanks to Sara M. and Kenny B for agreeing to take on the meeting and teach the newcomers how to chair meetings. Thanks for stepping up Kenny B and Sara M. We appreciate your commitment to the Newcomers.

Also on Saturday Karen M set up a St Patrick's Craft Day and Lois J jumped right on board along with Tina C, Stacey S., Kara L., Sue L. and Sara M. . Sue L and Karen M brought some healthy snacks and people still stayed to make the crafts!! In the end we brought out the chips and dip and the energy picked right up!! Thanks Karen for organizing that . Welcome to newcomers Carl and Rob who hung around after the NA meeting and thanks Josh S. who shoveled the front and back steps and salted two days in a row!! Also on Saturday Karen M organized and set up a newcomers Closet to help people get started with basic necessities. Such as laundry detergent, soap, Toilet paper etc. Karen and the Woman's Group will maintain the closet . If you have been helped at the clubhouse consider contributing something to the closet if you are able . Darcy F. also started crocheting little animals and donated 4 beginner packages for people to learn how to crochet. We have yarn and supplies at the Clubhouse if anyone is interested. Kara L. thought it would be helpful to keep her hands busy during idle times. Finally there has been a request for Brian M to teach his drawing class again and for Danny L to teach a painting class. We will keep you posted on the

those ideas. And don't forget the quilting idea the Woman's group was going to pursue. More on that after the Woman's Mtg.

We have had a lot of shovelers the past 6 weeks and the good news people just volunteered. Thanks Kara L., Josh S., Fr Mark, Delma W., Char B., Andrew, Doug K., and Sue L. Lois J is steadily working on the store upstairs and Tina C. and Kara L took down all the Christmas decorations and Heather A. who cleaned the entire clubhouse and Char B and Sue L who reorganized and cleaned the kitchen. Also Josh S. who cleaned both bathrooms and Sara M who consistently collect all the garbage and makes sure it goes out on garbage day. It takes a lot of work to maintain the clubhouse and it is great we have so many people helping out.

We also received an anonymous 200 donation and 100 donation and collected 95.00 from for our beverage jar. All of these donations keep us going so thank you to the everyone who continues to think of the Clubhouse. We appreciate the support.

Recap of Christmas Eve through New Years Day

A wonderful thing sprang up at the clubhouse. People who were able, spontaneously became Secret Santas for people new to the clubhouse and just getting back on their feet. It was not a request it just happened and the recipients were moved and grateful to have received a Christmas gift. We hope this continues and grows next year. thanks to the people who were moved to brighten someone's day .

We had to cancel Christmas Eve gathering because of weather and inability to access the building. Therefore on Christmas Day there was plenty of food. The weather was still snowy but we did have a nice crowd of about 20 people who hung around all day eating all kinds of food. Thanks for all of the cookies donations Arlene and Mary E. Also thanks for the sweet potato pie and mac and cheese Arlene. You and Karen M are our favorite cooks!! Of course lots of turkey, lazagna, potatoes all kinds of side dishes and plenty of dessert. We delivered ten meals to people who could not get out and had enough food to eat the next day after the Noon AA Meeting. We also played the Becki B game thanks to Michelle P and Char B. the pink package got a lot attention and I can't remember what it was in the end. Big Thanks to John F and Willie M who both had the parking lot plowed so that we could enjoy Christmas Day at the Clubhouse. Delma W and John F also decorated the outside of the Clubhouse on Christmas Eve. Better late than never!! Sara M got a Monopoly game going along with the card games. Thanks for all the help everyone.

New Years Eve we did have lots of snacks and food and about 25 people drifted in and out all day but by 9 pm we packed up and went home as most people did not venture outside. New Years Day we celebrated Jim R 51 years in AA. We had a huge feast thanks to Karen M , enjoyed lots of games thanks to Lois J , Sara M and of curse the card players. Karen M organized the Becki B games and it was loads of fun. Ask Stacey S. about the box of rocks!! Also thanks to Heidi A f, Tina C., Lois J for always contributing food to our dinners. We appreciate the donations.

The next day Mike R celebrated 4 years at he Noon AA mtg. and Josh S had 2 yrs. Congrats on your sobriety.

We are happy to report that with exception of a snow days, the clubhouse has been open every day from noon until the evening meetings. Karen M, Gaeton R, Danny L, Sue L , Carol H., Char B and a few others have been playing cards a lot. Karen M and Danny L made sliders and a few days in a row. Again... can someone help us stop eating. We are headed back to where we left off before the Pandemic. Lots of new people , activities, and we are open. Now to get some of the old timers back to help the newcomers.

Finally , sometimes the Clubhouse experiences growing pains and we try hard to minimize the drama. If this happen while you are around, have faith that it will always circle back to something better. We all have character defects that can surface in a moment... if this happens go see your sponsor!!

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