November 2007

I bring you greetings from Crossroads in Minneapolis; where we are known for our beautiful lakes, park systems, the Mall of America and now, tragically, the fallen bridge. My husband, David, and I were out of the country when we saw the news on CNN. We just stared in disbelief. That was the bridge David took to work everyday! That brings you to your knees quickly, in thanksgiving. Something else in that newscast that touched us deeply was how everyone pulled together and reached out to help others. What a wonderful comment on our city and its people. Each day is a gift and we need to have a grateful heart.

There is another expression of gratitude that I see in life, and that is when those individuals suffering from addiction finally get the help they need by entering a treatment program. They feel enormous relief, knowing that there are doctors and counselors who understand the confusion and loneliness of their affliction. There is equal relief from family and friends who have watched someone they love lose themselves to addiction. While treatment is important and the beginning of the healing process, there is another important question that needs to be answered and that is, where does a person go when treatment is completed? As humans, whether an addict or not, we all have established patterns of behavior. We eat the same thing for breakfast. We sit in the same chair or sofa when watching TV. We drive the same route to work or school each day… You get the idea.

To truly break free from addiction… is to break free from old patterns. No more coming home after work and going to the liquor cabinet or stopping off at the local bar. No starting a day obsessing on where to get drugs or making plans to get to the casino. No more lies or deception with parents or partner in an attempt to cover negative behavior. Simply put, people in recovery cannot go about their lives as though they were still using chemicals or gambling. It’s like trying to be relaxed and nervous at the same time… It just can’t be done.

So where does someone in recovery go after treatment? Where is the best environment for them to work on breaking these old patterns? Is it going back home? Is it living in a sober house? Or is it living in the Crossroads Aftercare Program where there are trained counselors to provide care after treatment. Remember, treatment is only the beginning, and there are so many other issues to be addressed. I hear stories from our residents, stories filled with pain and told through tears of shame and remorse. They can’t believe that they got to such a low point in their life. They didn’t set out to become addicted. This was not in the family plan.

Our goal is to help them to believe in themselves and return to those things that are positive and rewarding. Just the other day a resident commented to me on how strange the process of recovery has been for him. He said that he actually feels the physical and psychological changes happening. He told me that now he can sit down and read a book, enjoy it and even remember what he read! He was thrilled, because he had always been an avid reader and now like the Phoenix rising from the ashes was able to rekindle that love. He was breaking free from his old patterns that had taken him away from something that had been positive in his life.

Addiction is a physical and psychological health issue needing care, and we all know how costly healthcare is these days. Our residents pay for their stay themselves with no funding available from federal, state or county sources. Also, there is no coverage by insurance policies. Many of them work jobs at minimum wage. It is people like you, and your goodwill that give our residents a chance for a new life; a life where they can be productive citizens of our world with hope for the future. We must continue to remain affordable and within financial reach for young and old.

I ask that you take a moment to please consider supporting our mission which is, “To restore a sense of normalcy, self-reliance and hope to adult men and women recovering from chemical dependency or compulsive gambling by providing affordable housing, support and therapeutic services in a homelike setting.”

Remember that your contribution is fully tax deductible, and 92% of every dollar goes directly for the program operations.

Please visit www.crossroadsaftercare.org/donations for a comparison to other charities and additional opportunities to contribute. Perhaps your place of employment has a matching fund program so that your gift to Crossroads can be multiplied.

Gratefully yours,

Sharron Johnson
Executive Director

There is more hunger for           
LOVE and APPRECIATION in this world
…than for bread.                     
~ Mother Theresa    

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