MLK Day of Service 2023
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived his life serving others. Following his example, Americans all over the country serve our communities on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. This is an opportunity for us to volunteer for a cause we are passionate about, volunteer at a shelter, or even lend a helpin hand to our neighbors.
This year ARC was able to partner with University of Georgia to host a day of service at both of our centers, carrying on the legacy of service of MLK Jr. Thank you to UGA, Josh Podvin, Jittery Joes’s Coffee, and the 30 plus volunteers who came out to give our centers a much needed face lift.
Staff Spotlight: Danielle Bonanno
Every year the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes 10 community leaders under the age of 40. They accept nominations for young people who lead by example and collaboratively seek to implement a bright vision for the community. This year our Community Engagement Specialist, Danielle Bonanno was recognized as one of this year’s Top 10 Gamechangers under 40.
Danielle has been with Team ARC for over 2 years. She has been an advocate for various oppressed and stigmatized populations, including those with substance use disorders, LGBTQIA2S+, homeless and low income, and individuals with complex traumas. Danielle has dedicated her life to bridging the gap between the queer community and the recovery community, educating addiction professionals on how to serve LGBTQIA2S+ populations in a trauma-informed and culturally-affirming way.
Danielle also serves the greater Athens area as the President of Athens Pride and Queer Collective, the leading non-profit in Northeast Georgia advancing the lives of queer people through education, outreach, event curation, and support. She, along with Athens Pride President Emeritus Cameron Harrelson, Mayor Kelly Girtz, and Commissioner Mariah Parker, were instrumental in providing political advocacy to recognize “Trans Day of Remembrance” as a local holiday. Most importantly, she mentors our community’s queer youth by facilitating the Athens Pride + Queer Collective LGBTQ Youth Group. In her free time, Danielle enjoys writing and spending time with her fur-niece, Keira.
Congratulations, Danielle! Thank you for helping us GIVE RECOVERY A VOICE!
Jamie Tall: Suboxone Saves Lives
Hear From Our First Graduate
My name is Herman. I was born in Atlanta, Ga on August 3rd,1966. My family consists of 3 brothers, 1 sister and my mom and dad. I grew up in Atlanta most of my life and moved to the mountains in 1980. Growing up in my family was alright, I had a great childhood, but my parents were very strict. My parents divorced in 1985, and even as a grown man, I didn’t take it very well. I was heartbroken. I grew up in a wealthy home, feeling safe and secure. My mom and dad drank everyday and my mom smoked marijuana. My brother smoked marijuana and my sister also drank occasionally. My family’s substance use got me to think that drinking and smoking marijuana was okay to do. As a child I remember being 14 years old and my brother asked me if I wanted to smoke some pot with him. At first I said no, but he kept on nagging me and he wasn’t going to leave me alone until I did, so I did! Shortly after smoking pot with my brother he introduced me to crack and I smoked it at age 14/15. My addiction started after smoking crack and led me through a downward spiral.
As a teenager, I mostly kept to myself but I did have a few friends that I hung out with that didn’t use drugs. In school I did pretty well until I started doing drugs and ended up dropping out in the 8th grade. Doing drugs as a teenager affected my life negatively. My mom and I started drinking and smoking pot together, I was isolated from my friends and I wasn’t going to school. As a teenager I saw myself as pretty normal and active, looking back I think I could have done better as a normal teenager doing things like going to school. I did want to go to college, but my addiction got in the way.
Going into my adulthood I was in a serious relationship for 23 years but never got married and we didn’t have kids. I went to prison and she left me. I had a few friends that were in my life on a daily basis but they also used drugs. I didn’t really have any friends that were not using. Today, being clean, I don’t really have any friends, I have family!
I am currently employed and have been at Marti’s for almost a year. Before then I was never able to keep a job because of my addiction and drinking.
From 14 years old up until 15 months ago I was in active addiction. During that time I did a lot of things I never thought I would never do and I would have never approved of like stealing and going to prison. My family was hurt and disappointed by the choices I made. The last time I used I was in Athens strung out, no money, had to move out of the apartment I was in and I moved into a tent for 3 months before I came to ARC. Since I have been at ARC I have not relapsed and looking back on my substance use I can’t believe I did all the things I’ve done.
A relapse to me means going out and using or drinking. I do fear everyday that I will relapse. I don’t think that I would get away with drinking or using because it may lead me down an even worse path than the one I’ve already walked. Being abstinent from drugs and alcohol while being at ARC has made me realize that I needed to change my life for the better. My motivation every day is knowing that today I am a better man and I can keep a job and do it well. I’ve seen changes in my life with work, I can keep a job, family, I am in their good graces, my friends and family, I feel better physically and I sleep better, I think clearly and I think before I act, I have a higher power that I am connected to, and I have a positive outlook on life.
I had to change my life completely in order to keep what I got while at ARC. By doing that my life has made a positive change and I am actually able to look at myself in the mirror and accept who I am today. I think that therapy, treatment, and recovery go together like peas and carrots! My goals in recovery are to stay clean, keep going to meetings, stay in the literature and work the steps with my sponsor. The tools I have learned are going to work, stay away from high risk situations, being accountable, being on time and I use these main tools as rules for my life recovery. If I see myself heading towards a relapse I will call my sponsor and get to a meeting. I am accountable to my sponsor, Brandy, and ARC and I want them to see me succeed in life and also to show myself that I can do it.
Everyday I play a scenario in my head about what would happen if I relapsed. What would I do? First I would call my sponsor and Brandy. Then to stay safe, I would get to a meeting. I play this tape all the way through to the end and know that I have took to use if I relapse or are in a high risk situation. I am thankful to ARC for showing me a new way to live.
Herman O.
Upcoming Recovery Events & Community Resources
On Tuesday, January 24, 2023 join the Georgia Recovery Community – health care professionals, family members and other allies for the 2023 Addiction Awareness Recovery Day for the Georgia General Assembly.
These Georgian’s represent the over 800,000 people in Recovery across Georgia.
This is our time to unite and support funding for the Georgia Recovery Community. The purpose of this day is to recognize and lift up the power of Recovery in the lives of everyday Georgians and to say thank you to for the bi-partisan support the Georgia Recovery Community receives from the General Assembly and our state Constitutional Officers.
We support initiatives that promote prevention and early intervention; increase opportunities and resources for treatment and support pro-recovery policies that increase the likelihood of sustained, long-term recovery. As Georgia’s policymakers and leaders make decisions that affect all of us, they will look around and see that RECOVERY IS HERE and RECOVERY IS REAL.
The Georgia Recovery Community supports initiatives which promote prevention and early intervention; increase opportunities and resources for treatment and support pro-recovery policies that increase the likelihood of sustained, long-term recovery.
For more information visit the Georgia Council for Recovery website at https://gasubstanceabuse.org/.
Join Recovery Dharma Global on Zoom on February 4th for their first ever Recovery Dharma daylong retreat! Growth in Recovery events will focus on the pillars of the Recovery Dharma program, and help strengthen our paths in recovery. This retreat will focus on each component of “The Practice” as outlined in the Recovery Dharma book. Entry fee is a sliding scale donation to RDG. For more info and registration, click the link below:.
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