WFS Summer 2020 Newsletter

 

Women for Sobriety Summer Update September 2020 Organizational Updates Retirement of WFS Chair Karen H and VP Susie M A hearty WFS thank you to Karen and Susie for their dedicated service to the Board of Directors for so very many years! Both competent women will be continuing on at WFS in other volunteer capacities, including as advisory Honorary Board Members and Certified Facilitators. Karen will continue to write the weekly Monday Thoughts and shared this touching blog post to announce the change: "...It has been an honor to serve our life-saving organization with so many incredible, 4C women from across the globe.  You have inspired, you have taught, and you have enabled the progression of our beloved organization to grow into where we are today..." Read More Please join us in welcoming our new Board Chair Jean H and Vice President Veena I! WFS Meeting Reorganization We continue to adapt to meet the needs of 4C women and our volunteer-led groups in the pandemic. We have extended our meeting offerings to include Regional and WFS Online Video meetings. Another change has been to bring all of our volunteers who lead meetings under a single umbrella as Certified Facilitators. We prepared this brief video for our volunteer facilitators to help explain the changes and the reasons for the changes, and we thought you might be interested in watching it, too. We celebrate these trailblazing groups for being the first four meetings to convert to the new Regional Video Meeting designation! Regional San Diego, CA - Saturdays, 10:15 AM Pacific 1017@womenforsobriety.org Champaign, IL - Mondays, 08:00 pm Central 1025@womenforsobriety.org Central Valley California - Tuesdays, 8:30 AM Pacific 1100@womenforsobriety.org Twin Cities MN West Suburbs - Sundays, 10:00 AM Central 1035@womenforsobriety.org WFS Strategic Planning WFS invites you to participate in our Envision the Future survey.  Your input is important as WFS develops its strategies, goals, and plans for the future.  The survey asks for your input on several topics: The WFS overall mission, vision and values  WFS programs Materials and literature WFS services What else should WFS work on? Take the Survey Now A New WFS Logo? Calling all 4C Women, it is time to get your creative juices flowing! What would go better with a new mission statement and strategic plan than a fresh new logo? We are looking for design ideas – don’t worry, it doesn't have to be perfect, as we will be working with a graphic designer on polishing things up submissions. Finalist concepts will be voted on in a poll in the near future. (There will also be an option to vote on keeping the old logo, for those traditionalists out there!) We can’t wait to see what you come up with! Like recovery, the sky is the limit here. Use whatever you have at your disposal and let your imagination soar. Submissions must be made in png, jpeg, or pdf format to suz@womenforsobriety.org. Let's Talk About It (WE)covery is a group of 4C women who have been inspired to examine and challenge our personal biases. In the process, we are also hopeful that our newfound knowledge can help the WFS organization reach, welcome, and celebrate even more women to our New Life Program.   All are welcome at this drop-in Video Meeting!   1st & 3rd Sundays at 12:00 pm US/Eastern 2nd & 4th Thursdays at 3:00 pm US/Eastern (No meeting Thursday, Sept. 24th)   Learn More in the (WE)covery Forum on WFS Online Thanks for Making Our 2020 Virtual Conference a Success! About the 2020 Virtual Conference held on June 12-14: 424 registered attendees 28 sessions, including 7 WFS meetings, 4 Plenary (large group) sessions, a live fundraising event and 16 breakout workshops Dozens of volunteers worked before, during and after the event to support presenters and attendees 85% of those responding to the Event Satisfaction Survey were very satisfied with the event Conference season donations totaled over $90,000! How do conference donations support WFS programs and strategies? Like many nonprofit organizations relying on individual donations, WFS has been challenged this year! Your support via conference donations and the annual Teddy Bear Challenge helps ensure that WFS can continue to support women in recovery. A key initiative for WFS is converting our literature for digital download. This will reduce printing and shipping costs, free up WFS volunteers and staff resources for other program work, and help get life-saving materials into women's hands even faster!   WFS is making an investment to improve the WFS Online experience.  WFS Online is an important resource for hundreds of women in recovery, offering forums, video and chat meetings, and more. WFS is investigating new service delivery options - keep your eye out for great things! WFS Watch Parties Did you miss conference due to time conflicts or uncertainty over the online format? Or maybe you attended and wish the Replay Week had been extended even further? Have no fear, WFS Watch Parties are here! Thanks to the generosity of many of our presenters, we are able to share many of the recorded sessions on WFS Online! The videos will be rolled out through a series of Watch Parties - opportunities to gather via Zoom and watch the recording, followed by an informal group discussion. The first Watch Party in the series was Lynn Matti's Keynote Address entitled Self-Compassion, Self Esteem, and Recovery in Times of Great Uncertainty, which is now available for viewing in the 2020 Virtual Conference forum. Look for more Watch Party announcements on WFS Online. Conference 2021 is Going Virtual! After careful consideration, the WFS Board of Directors has made the decision to again convert the 2021 Annual Weekend Conference to a virtual event. Many factors were taken into account in coming to this conclusion, including uncertainty about the course of the pandemic, possible challenges to women's abilities and/or desires to travel in June of 2021, and the public health considerations of having a large group from diverse locations lodging and dining together over the course of multiple days. Out of respect for our volunteer planning team, we felt it prudent to let them focus on making one great plan for a virtual event, rather than asking them to plan an uncertain physical event and possibly have to pivot at the last minute as they had to do in 2020. Just think! If we could pull off such a successful event in 2020 with only 10 weeks notice, what can be possible with months of preparation!?! Keep an eye out for more details as they develop! WFS needs your help in making 2021 another year to remember!  Email volunteer@womenforsobriety.org to get involved! Get Social! Join the Women for Sobriety Connection - New Life Program Facebook group where you can: Celebrate your use of the WFS New Life Program of recovery Share support and encouragement with 4C women Get live access to our Facebook Live Tuesday Talks New In-Person Meetings Houston, TX Sunday 3:00 PM Los Alamitos, CA Wednesday 6:30 pm Most new in-person meetings are starting up using video format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. National Recovery Month National Recovery Month is a national observance held every September to educate Americans that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable those with mental and substance use disorders to live healthy and rewarding lives. Now in its 31st year, Recovery Month celebrates the gains made by those living in recovery.    Donate now to help WFS continue serving women in recovery! Donate Now Copyright © 2020 Women For Sobriety, All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the News and Announcements list from WFS Our mailing address is: Women For Sobriety PO Box 618 Quakertown, PA 18951 Add us to your address book   Financial and other information about Women for Sobriety’s purpose, programs, and activities can be obtained by contacting WFS at PO Box 618, Quakertown, PA 18951; 215-536-8026; or contact@womenforsobriety.org, or for residents of the following states, as stated below. Registration in a state does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation of WFS by the state. CO: Secretary of State, 303-894-2860, www.sos.state.co.us/ re: Reg.No 20183006027. FL: CH53986 A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. IL: Contracts and reports regarding WFS are on file with the Illinois Attorney General. MD: For the cost of postage and copies, from the Maryland Secretary of State. MI: MICS No.CS 58804. MS: The official registration and financial information of Women for Sobriety, Inc., can be obtained from the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office by calling 1-888-236-6167. NJ: INFORMATION FILED WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONCERNING THIS CHARITABLE SOLICITATION AND THE PERCENTAGE OF CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED BY THE CHARITY DURING THE LAST REPORTING PERIOD THAT WERE DEDICATED TO THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY BY CALLING (973) 504-6588 AND IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/charfrm.htm. REGISTRATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT. NC: Financial information about this organization and copy of its license are available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at 919-814-5400. NV: The state of incorporation of WFS is PA. PA: The official registration and financial information for WFS may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. WA: From the Charities Division, Office of the Secretary of State, State of Washington, Olympia, WA 98504-0422, 1-800-332-4483, or www.sos.wa.gov/charities. WV: West Virginia residents may obtain a summary of the registration and financial documents from the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, West Virginia 25305. CONTRIBUTIONS ARE DEDUCTIBLE FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAW.

Recovery Month: The Importance of Treatment for Substance Use Disorders

 

View this email in your browser Recovery Month shines a light on the healthy, rewarding life that recovery can help people achieve.  Share Tweet Forward Let's Talk About Recovery In acknowledgment of National Recovery Month, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is shining a light on the importance of treatment for substance use disorders and the healthy and rewarding life that recovery can help achieve. We hope you’ll get involved in the conversation and look out for the release of the following resources to help jumpstart a dialogue with your audiences and loved ones.   Conversation Starter: MTV "16 and Recovering" Series MTV premiered a new four-part docu-series, “16 and Recovering,” that spotlights stories from teens at Northshore Recovery High School in Massachusetts. If teens you know are watching, using the series as a conversation starter, caregivers and educators can help teens realize they’re not alone or different—and that the disease of addiction is treatable. Using non-stigmatizing language can help reinforce this; check out NIDA's preferred language guide to help start talking about drug use and addiction using person-first, non-judgmental language. You can find more information and resources to help dig into and explain the science that drives addiction and how treatment can help on drugabuse.gov and teens.drugabuse.gov. Resources on Treatment and Recovery to Use Now NIDA's Step by Step Guides to Finding Treatment for Drug Use Disorders This series of publications is filled with resources and information to help you or someone you care about who might have a drug use disorder, including a guide specifically written for young people. Teens Ask: "Is There a Cure for Addiction?" During National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week®, teens often ask about a cure for addiction. In this blog post for teens, we explain that there may not be a cure, but there is treatment that helps people live full, healthy lives again. NIAAA: Ask 10 Recommended Questions These questions, outlined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), will help you learn whether a substance use disorder treatment provider offers higher-quality treatment and is a good fit for your situation.    NIAAA: How to Spot Quality Treatment Treatment for alcohol use disorder comes in many forms. Learn how you can recognize quality care. National Institute on Drug Abuse 6001 Executive Boulevard Bethesda, MD 20892 Add us to your address book