Recovery Day Calgary

There are many decisions involved in public recovery storytelling. Filtering these decisions through a model of ethical decision-making and core values of recovery can help minimize risk to self and other parties

Dear First Weekend Club members, I wanted to reach out to you with a personal note to share some news. After 18 years of promoting Canadian film and talent, Fir...st Weekend Club will be shutting its doors at the end of December 2020. In many ways, it feels like the end of an era, and what an adventure it has been. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming along on this journey! With the changing film industry landscape and reduced financial resources available, it is time for us to move on. We are proud of what we have accomplished. Since launching in February 2003, we have promoted almost 1000 Canadian features and countless talent. We've worked with our partners to pack movie theatres across the country on that all important first weekend, and we've hosted hundreds and hundreds of video interviews with filmmakers, actors, producers, cinematographers and so many other industry professionals. And we even launched a VOD service exclusively dedicated to Canadian films which we ran for three years and was curated by some of Canada's top talent. Through it all, we got to know and fall in love with the incredible talent this country has produced, and, of course, the audiences who support them. We are deeply grateful for all of our partners, our hard-working and passionate FWC team, board of directors, and the outpouring of community support that we've received over the years. Of particular note are the three partners who have supported our mission since the beginning - Telefilm Canada , Directors Guild of Canada, BC District Council, and Creative BC. We would not have come so far without you! Although First Weekend Club's journey is coming to an end, the love for Canadian film and talent continues to burn bright and we hope that the audiences we helped build will continue supporting them for years to come! With love and gratitude, Anita Adams Founder & Executive Director First Weekend Club [email protected] Want to keep in touch with our team? Priya Rao Eastern Director and Host, Reel Inspiration Podcast [email protected] Team member since 2010 Katherine Brodsky Director of Communications [email protected] Team member since 2003 Alexandra Staseson Director of Social Media / Community Partners / Host [email protected] Team member since 2003 Anna-Lea Boeki Content Specialist [email protected] Team member since 2015 Angelica Sarmiento Social Media & Video Editing [email protected] Team member since 2020

From the desk of Jason Luan COVID-19 has been and continues to be challenging for Albertans living with mental health and addiction. Thankfully, Alberta is home... to a vibrant and expansive mental health and addiction recovery community. Many people who are in recovery often access mutual support groups to begin and maintain their recovery. Given the current public health measures that are in place, I understand that there has been uncertainty about whether or not the operation of mutual support groups can continue. The Government of Alberta considers mutual support groups an essential service to preserve life, health, and public safety. This includes groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, etc. Mutual support meetings are permitted to continue in person without capacity restrictions while strictly adhering to measures to control the spread of COVID-19. This includes 2 meters of physical distancing between individuals, continuous masking where applicable, and sanitization procedures. Enhanced public health measures, effective November 24, 2020, do not place any additional restrictions on mutual support groups. For more information about permitted activities including mutual support groups visit www.alberta.ca/restrictions-on-gatherings.aspx. I strongly encourage organizations that host mutual support groups to continue providing meeting space while groups take the required steps to operate safely. These mutual support groups are essential to providing the needed connection and peer support the recovery community relies on.

I am a mother of children with addiction and a person in long-term recovery myself. I have experienced first-hand the negative consequences of addiction, including profound feelings of shame and guilt. My personal recovery has not been without challenges, but it has been so worth it. My life is better than I could ever have imagined.

AARC is pleased to invite you to an Educational Webinar: Emotional Wellness for Families and Caregivers: Navigating the Emotional Waves of Addiction Date: Thurs...day, December 17, 2020, 12:00-1:00 PM MST RSVP: [email protected] Please see poster for further details.

A father mourns his daughter, whom he found dead in her apartment in downtown Langley from an accidental overdose of fentanyl. He says It’s not the users who are the problemit’s the people who sell it.

Powerful message Stian Rørstad. Thank you for sharing your inspiration and information on how people can get involved.

Fresh Start Recovery Centre is expanding their reach of service beyond Calgary. Congratulations!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, December 12th.

#goodhumanstory

Calgary run agency. Full-Time & 'Gap-Fill' Employment Opportunities Available Phone Number: 403-450-0048 Website: https://www.recoveryworx.ca/... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryworx.ca/

A pilot project now offers mental health, additions support and referral to other services at the new Calgary Central Library. Afternoon and evenings you can meet with a professional from Wood's Homes for assistance at no cost and with no appointment necessary. http://ow.ly/lk2950BTpO5

October 10th is #WorldMentalHealthDay. Mental health issues touch every one of our lives, whether we experience them ourselves or through someone close to us. We owe it to ourselves, our families, our friends, our coworkers, and our neighbours to raise awareness and educate others on behalf of those struggling with mental health issues. During these challenging times, we need to make the extra effort and check in with one another to see how we're all doing. That's why we at E...HN Canada created a Mental Health Survival Guide to give you the tools to help yourself and those around you. Please download a copy for yourself or to share. Stay safe out there. https://bit.ly/34FYACb

A lot of amazing people are behind this! Bravo!

FREE weekly She Recovers Trauma Informed Yoga Classes. Every Wednesday at 9am PST/12pm myself - or one of my exceptional certified SHE RECOVERS Yoga Teachers - ...lead a free online class. All levels welcome - totally beginner friendly. And you are more than welcome to join and NOT do yoga - some womxn join and just listen while they work/walk/homeschool etc. Classes vary from 30-60 minutes, and every class is a different recovery related theme. If you can’t make the live classes, no problem. I record them and they live in our online yoga membership library. First month is FREE - so you can see how it flows. $19.99 monthly, after that. Links for offerings - in the comments. If you identify as being in recovery and as a womxn or non binary individual who identifies with womxns communities - you are welcome. Vasalisa Wall

Looking forward to RD Calgary 2021. Stay tuned!!!

ALBERTA: Social gathering restrictions of 15 people announced today DO NOT APPLY to mutual support meetings like AA, NA, Smart Recovery and others. These meetings are a critical part of our Mental Health and Addiction Recovery system and are deemed an essential service by the Government of Alberta. Please share amongst your networks.

From the desk of Minister Jason Luan- My office has been hearing reports of mutual support groups (e.g. Alcoholics Anonymous) facing uncertainty about whether o...r not they can continue to meet in person. To be completely clear, the Government of Alberta considers mutual support groups an essential service to preserve life, health, and public safety. Groups may continue to meet in person while adhering to safety protocols (e.g. Physical distancing, sanitization, masking where applicable, etc.). The letter below seeks to provide clarity on this issue.

No matter what happened or happens, YOU get to decide your identity

A new affordable transitional housing development for women and children in northeast Calgary is being proposed by the area's Sikh community, led by the Dashmesh Culture Centre. The centre, which is also a prominent Sikh temple, is one the largest faith-based organizations in the city. The organization purchased a piece of land from the city that was previously a fire hall in the community of Saddle Ridge, where it hopes to build next year.

Last Saturday, the Alberta Addiction Service Providers an organization representing the majority of recovery specialists who work directly with those who are trying to escape the addiction trap, published a public letter: Over the past few weeks, we have seen a lot of criticism of this government’s recovery-oriented approach and it’s time for the recovery advocates to speak up. We want Albertans to know that our member organization makes up the vast majority of the addicti...on-care system, we are the front line and we have never felt more supported and encouraged by any government in our memory. Addiction is not a moral failing and it is not a death sentence. Addiction is a treatable chronic brain disease. Our sector comes from a place of hope for people across our continuum of services, recovery from addiction is real, attainable, and sustainable. The evidence of this is all around us. Like the Alberta Addiction Service Providers, Alberta’s government believes that recovery from addiction is real, attainable, and sustainable. Read the public letter from Alberta Addiction Service Providers here: https://www.facebook.com/kenneyjasont/posts/10158650203682641

HERE ARE LINKS TO ALL RECOVERY PROGRAMS. WE SUPPORT EVERYONE'S RECOVERY. AA World Meetings: https://www.aa.org/ Recovery Dharma: www.recoverydharma.org...Continue reading

If you or anyone you know has experienced the loss of a loved one Joy Pavelich’s new book will surly be a comfort. Joy is a long time supporter of Recovery Day Calgary and has contributed endlessly to recovery advocacy. Please run, don’t walk and get her new book.

You are an inspiration.

Lois Wilson, cofounder of Al-Anon and wife of Alcoholics Anonymous cofounder Bill Wilson, passed away October 5th, 1988. Here is an excerpt from Lois' obituary ...in the October 6th, 1988 issue of the New York Times: "Lois Burnham Wilson, a founder of the Al-Anon Family Groups, whose members are relatives and friends of alcoholics, died yesterday at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, N.Y. Mrs. Wilson, widely known as Lois W., was 97 years old and was a longtime resident of Bedford Hills, N.Y. As Lois W., she was revered as ''the first lady of Al-Anon,'' and as a living reminder of the beginnings five decades ago of the Alcoholics Anonymous self-help movement."

This weekend I went to a wedding at a friend's house. As we chatted with fellow guests, my partner and I stood in line at the bar. "What can I get you?" the ba...rtender smiled. "We have everything!" "Great!" I cheered. I was thirsty. "Something non-alcoholic please." The bartender's cheery demeanor immediately turned to one of perplexity. He wasn't expecting this, apparently. Befuddled by my request, he told me there was juice and water bottles in the cooler around the corner. So... the kids cooler. Yea, I know the drill. I've been sober almost two years and I know all about the kids cooler. And yet I go into every social gathering, every wedding, every restaurant with almost a Pollyanna hope. Maybe the sober curious movement is making a ripple in the food and beverage industry. Maybe this time they'll have the non-alcoholic (NA) beer they said was out of stock last time. Maybe they've finally updated their menu to have NA options that are fun and flirty and celebratory. But we still have a long ways to go, don't we? And at every social gathering, I still ask for my drink in a wine glass or a tumbler. And I ask for a lime wedge because, yes... it's more fun. And yes... it makes it look less like a kid's juice box and more like a grown up drink. And yes, I don't drink but that doesn't mean my taste buds died. I still like festive drinks in fun glasses with pretty colors. Yet more often then not, I wind up digging through the ice of a kids cooler, looking for something NA besides apple juice and Capri Sun. You stand out if you're not drinking. You get questioned if you're not drinking ("are you pregnant?") You look and feel out of place, especially if you're new in your sobriety. Sometimes... you even get ridiculed or pressured to have one. Being sober in a world that idolizes booze feels like a target on our back. A target I never asked to be there. A target I never expected. Quitting drinking was hard. But navigating in this boozy culture as the only non-drinker at almost every event, networking party, every wedding? That's harder. A little inclusivity would go a long way. Offering NA options at your party. Throwing out non-alcoholic suggestions when you offer to buy someone a drink? It's an easy, inclusive concept that might make a big difference for someone newly sober and struggling. Time to change the narrative. Someone's reason for not drinking is none of our business. Let's offer more NA options and less sideways glances. It would go a long way. *** Follow Celeste on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/theultimatemomchallenge.

Thanks for sharing Mike Davies.