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A New Ending

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“We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” step 3 of Alcoholics Anonymous

“God makes all of us beautiful and strong in our own ways. Some of us know from a young age that He is always in our presence, and we are able to feel his effects daily; some of us must search and sacrifice to know a relationship with Him.

A group of incredible, strong-willed, devout women from Focus on Recovery dedicated their Saturday morning to serving GKC, and the experience was not short of incredible. These women proved their devotion to their Higher Power and sobriety by giving back to our community. Though there was no blood, there were plenty of sweat and tears!

These women hit the floor running and giggling with their efforts, and instantly filled the GKC office and Community House with banter and laughter; making it impossible to not immediately feel connected to them. The women at the office were primarily divided into two groups: one group sorted and stacked numerous boxes of non-perishable items used for our monthly food delivery service and the second group sorted dozens of pounds of fresh nectarines and strawberries. To call this task a “dirty job,” would be an understatement. All the while, in both groups, the ladies were able to simultaneous share their stories of growth and faith. Some of their stories were brief, while others believed in full-disclosure of their past.  In either instance, it was an honor and privilege to hear their story.

Thankfully, by the grace of God, GKC had a surplus of hotdogs, sausages, and hamburgers, and we were able to share a meal with these hard-working ladies! Amen to a good lunch!

One of the highlights of the day was near the last fifteen minutes of our time with the wonderful ladies from Focus. GKC was able to share some food with these women to take home, and one woman in particular wanted to take some gluten-free bread for her roommate. After helping her fill up her little bags with goodies, she begin to tear up. She said that she was not used to having people take care of her, and she was not sure how to respond. This courageous woman has a job that requires her to put her life on the line everyday to serve others–and she felt spoiled by food. Having the opportunity to be kind to this incredible spirit, and remind her how valuable her existence and happiness is to this world is what makes living with a community so rewarding.

We all fall sometimes, and without the love and support of people around us, sometimes getting back up can seem impossible. These women, however, are living proof of what a connection with God and a bond with a community can do to revitalize the spirit.”

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson

– Cassidy Clevenger, Social Work Intern

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