Cobb County Legal Professional Association Supports Reconnecting Families

A big thanks for the support and donations from the CCLPA!

On April 21st the CCLPA, spearheaded by Babe Atkins-Byrne, held a food and cleaning supply drive to benefit RF.  In support of our Family Support Treatment Baskets, a program developed to help Mother's meet a requiement to enter treatment,  the CCLPA gathered supplies and presented them to RF.

What a great way to receive help from the community!

Thanks CCLPA!

One Man and a Bike Trip Across America

Make a Donation Per Mile

A kind friend of Reconnecting Families has agreed to honor donations to RF for each mile of his trip.  Can you afford to pledge 1 cent per mile, or maybe 10 cents per mile?  In return your donations will go to Reconnecting Families, and you can follow Chris's wild ride.  Read more about his journey in his own words and email him to make that pledge!:

Hi all:

First of all, thanks. I have had some contact with some of you over the years, but had no email addresses. I may have seen you last 40 years ago, but the memories are still vivid.

Future e-mails will probably come from my work address; you can contact me at either

hoeberc@gmail.com
hoeberc@ssd.loral.com

I will be departing on Sunday (Easter) from Costa Mesa, CA on a 33 day bicycle ride that ends in Amesbury, MA (near NH border). This is something that I have wanted to do since the establishment of the Bikecentennial Trail in 1976 and the start of Race Across America (RAAM) in the early 80's. I finally decided that if I wait until I retire I may be too old, so I am taking 5 weeks of vacati on to do this. The ride is sponsored by a group called America by Bicycle and in order to do it I had to demonstrate that I could ride 100 miles in 6 hours (I did qualifying rides of 5:37 in February and 5:36 in a rainstorm in March) and since I am a Senior Citizen, I needed a doctor's permission. I also spent a hell of a lot of time since January riding in the dark, in the rain, in horrific winds, etc.). I'm ready!

Of course I am doing the ride for myself, but I will also be sponsored by Special Need Children's Center Foundation, which was started by a friend and colleag ue at work. His son has been in a wheelchair forever, and Zia got pissed off when he had to buy his first wheelchair: not only was it horribly expensive, it was junk. If you feel up to it, there is a link on the SNCCF web site to make a donation or pledge based on my ride results:

http://www.snccf.org/

My ride is organized by a group calle d America by Bicycle, and I have my detailed itinerary, including my hotel for each night. I'll be going across NY from Buffalo to just north of Albany, just N of the Finger Lakes. I see that a few of you live in that general area so if you want to drop me a line (I will have intrenet each night) we can arrange to meet for dinner (warning: I will want to eat everything in sight and I can't stay up all night drinking beer). The itinerary is attached. In NY, I will stay in Dunkirk, Batavia, Liverpool and Amsterdam on May 21-24. Mary will meet me in Amesbury, on the 26th.

Here is a description of the ride (115 miles per day):

http://www.americabybicycle.com/Fast/

And here is the link to my blog. I have started it (mostly to make sure that I know how to do it) but I will be posting to it every day starting Saturday.

http://hoeberc.blog spot.com/



Hope to hear from some of you.

Chris

2011 Heart in Hand Luncheon

Our Heart in Hand nomination goes to Carrie Kennedy...

On April 15th the Inited Way hosted their annual Heart in Hand Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon.  

The purpose of the event is to acknowledge the important role of volunteerism in our community and to recognize the unsung heroes among us. 

Reconnecting Families, Inc proudly nominated Carrie Kennedy for Carrie's amazing diligence towards the success of the Celebrating Families program.

Thanks Carrie for all you do!

Here is Carrie directing the dinner team at a program

Harry's Market

Donate Your Dime

The Harry's Market DONATE YOUR DIME campaign is well underway!  Be sure and stop in to buy some fresh produce, but bring a recycled bag.  If your cashier forgets to offer, make sure you tell him to donate that dime!  We have recently learned that Harry's Market chose our organization at the recommendation of the mother of a Juvenile about to graduate from Drug Court under Judge Stedman.  She believes in Drug Courts and Reconnecting Families, Inc!

Harry's Market

70 Powers Ferry Road

Marietta, GA 30067

You can also drop your extra change at each register:

SEE YOU AT HARRY'S!!

Easter Season is Upon Us....

Easter is Here and Families are Together

Saturday, April 16th 2011 marked the annual Marietta First Baptist Church's Easter Egg Hunt.  First Baptist has become a great friend and sponsor of the Reconnecting Families' family.  This church truly steps up to the plate when food or activities are needed for the families undergoing drug court.  The major event sponsored by this wonderful church is the Annual Easter Egg Hunt. 

This past Saturday the families participating in the Family Dependancy Treatment Court program celebrated Easter alongside Judge Juanita Stedman, Board members of Reconnecting Families, and drug court employees.  Easter is a holiday about healing and new life, and this day truly personifies the happiness of new lives that are filled with sobriety. 

Please enjoy these pictures of the beautiful day!

Thanks to the kind folks of Marietta First Baptist Church!

Judge Stedman joins the fun



The Great Egg Stampede



Eggs for everyone!



One Happy Hunter




The Easter Bunny sits for a few Photos



A Drug Court Story....

From the NADCP website.  Their Drug Court Story of the Month:

• Drug Court Story of the Month

Ashley L.

Drug Court Story of the Month

My name is Ashley L. and I am a graduate of the 6th Circuit Court Juvenile Drug Court in Michigan. My early drug use brought me to a long-term residential treatment center at the age of 14. After 18 months in the program, I ran away. For the few days that I was gone I used various drugs, some of which, I did not know what they were. After 5 days, I was found by the police and taken to a juvenile detention center until sentencing for home truancy.

At 16 years old I was admitted into the Oakland County Juvenile Drug Court program. I struggled with the new form of responsibility and accountability for the early months of my program. But as time went on, I began to listen and learn the tools that were being taught to us. I successfully completed the program in just over 11 months. For months after, I continued to volunteer with the court to run a self-help group for the girls still in Drug Court. Since graduation, I have done several public speaking events on behalf of the Oakland County Drug Courts and other related organizations.

I am now 18 years old. I have recently celebrated 2 years of being clean. I graduated high school with honors and my Drug Court probation officer was sitting in the audience as I walked across the stage. I am enrolled in college and am on the Dean's List. I maintain employment and now live on my own. My family relationships have been restored to better than when we first began. I have done exactly what the Treatment Court programs are designed for. I have and will continue a life of recovery and have become a productive member of society.

I have carried on with the tools that Drug Court gave me and I keep in close contact with those who were involved with the process of my program. I do that for two reasons: the first is to continue to give the team hope that there are successes among those in their program and to thank them for their continued hope in me through my dark times; the second reason is to remind myself of where I once was and the journey to where I am now.

I think back to July 15th, 2008, when I was so terrified as I was being admitted into the Juvenile Drug Court program. My head was filled with fear and doubt of my ability to complete the task ahead of me. Then, I come back to reality and look around. I see the life that I have made with the help of the team and my gold-plated problems do not seem quite as bad. I will always consider myself a part of the Juvenile Drug Court and owe the program and its team members my gratitude for showing me the potential I always held within.

*****DON'T FORGET TO SHOP AT HARRY'S MARKET THROUGH JUNE!  And Donate Your Dime!!!

Donate Your Dime! BIG NEWS!

We have received wonderful news!

Harry’s Farmer’s Market of Marietta has chosen Reconnecting Families, Inc as their 2^{nd quarter Donate Your Dime recipient!!!!! This doesn’t end until end of JUNE!http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/cobb/}

Harry’s Market

70 Powers Ferry Road

Marietta, GA

This means that when anyone shops at Harry’s Market and donates their bag, they will be asked to Donate Their Dime to our cause. In addition, jars will be set about for voluntary donations as well. THIS IS BIG!!!

The last group, an animal shelter, raised over 10K!!

Send ALL your friends to Harry’s starting today!!!

Gainful Employment

Employment of Drug Court Mothers and Teens

A large portion of what Reconnecting Families offers our drug court participants is the ability to earn an education, life skills, and employment.  It is these factors that, along with a sober life, have contributed to the huge success we have enjoyed.  It is important to recognize two of the several local businesses that have stepped up and offered employment to a large number of our participants as they so desperately needed it.

We hope our many friends of RF will be sure to frequent the mentioned establishments to let their owners know how grateful the RF family is for their kindness!!

A BIG thanks to Johnnie Gabriel of Gabriel's Desserts!  If you haven't been to Gabriel's then you have really been missing out.  The cakes, pies and menu are simply out of this world.  Plus, Johnnie sells cookbooks, so all her secrets can be your holiday successes! 

Visit her website, GABRIEL'S, and her store today!!

Gabriel's Desserts Bakery

800 Whitlock Ave NW # 135
Marietta, GA 30064-4667
(770) 427-9007

Also, a BIG thanks to Scott Deviney and the great folks at Wendy's!  Scott is a local franchise owner who, with the help of his wife Kristy, stepped up and offered to help.  The Deviney's extended their Cobb County franchise locations as potential places of employment.  In doing this, several of our mothers who so desperately needed income, have found jobs.  Having a job and an income provides much needed resources and self esteem to these struggling mothers.

Visit Scott's store today!

Wendy's

1110 Richard D. Sailors

Powder Springs, GA