News from NEXT STEP RECOVERY, INC

April 2010

Vol 1, Issue 4

Outdoor Adventure Program

Hiking the Appalachian Trail

Dear Family & Friends of Next Step Recovery...

Annual Campaign

Spring is finally here, and we are busy preparing the ground to ensure Next Step Recovery's men's and women's programs can continue to grow and thrive.

We are excited to announce that we have launched our first annual campaign, and we have already increased community awareness about the needs of those in recovery with recent feature articles in both Verve and The Laurel of Asheville, and multiple airings of our documentary on Asheville's URTV.

We are currently reaching out to community leaders and philanthropists to develop the support necessary for us to continue offering our high quality programming and to secure a permanent home for our programs.

We've also been doing lots of spring cleaning here at Next Step Recovery, including creating a brand new website for our woman's program.

Please plan to join us April 25, 2010 from 2-4 pm in Weaverville for our Women's Program Open House.

Local Magazine Features Next Step Recovery

In March, Next Step Recovery was featured in The Laurel of Asheville.

We were excited to be able to educate the community about the needs of those in early recovery and the hard work we are doing here.

We invite you to read our article by clicking on the magazine cover to the left. Our article is listed in the Special Features section of the index.

In This Issue

The Laurel of Asheville

Weaverville Open House

New Website

The Power of Addiction

The following poem, written by one of our male residents, is a powerful description of the pain of living with addiction. Breaking that cycle of pain is what motivates us here at Next Step Recovery every day.

The Power of Addiction

Powerless over my addiction I became
Now my life just isn't the same
When I first put this poison in my vein
I never knew it could cause so much pain

In the end it was all I could trust
The pain, the hurt, and all the lust
It took my family and my friends
All I could think of was the bitter end

It hurt so bad waiting for the rush
I was dying inside for that next push
Now I sit here in this hell
Hoping and praying I don't go to jail

I ask God for help every single day
But all my demons keep getting in the way
I need something to just end my pain
This never-ending cycle is driving me insane

I feel like I have failed this chance at life
The thought chills my soul like a burning knife
I sit here all day looking to the sky
Praying to my Lord this is my last high

-A.S.

Women's Program Open House in Weaverville

Women's Program Open House
Sunday, April 25, 2-4 pm

Please join us for a tour our historic property, once home to Weaverville's first mayor and most recently the Secret Garden Spa. You can meet our wonderful staff and tour our beautiful Japanese gardens-nearly an acre of them! We'll have plenty of wonderful local food to nosh on as we enjoy Spring together.

For directions or more info, call Susan Stader at 350-9960 or Mark Vander Galien at 545-1239.

Make a Day of It!

If you plan to join us for our Open House, you might consider exploring some of the region's finest artists who are opening their studios for tours throughout the weekend. You can tour the studios of fine artists, woodworkers, potters, jewelry designers and metalworkers, glass blowers, fiber artists, sculptors, photographers and handcrafted furniture makers.

For more information about the Weaverville Art Safari, click on their logo.

New Women's Program Website

We are excited to announce that our women's program has it's own new website, which is as beautiful as our Women's Recovery House and our residents and staff.

Our new website has a wealth of information about our programs and services and an extensive photo gallery.

To learn more about Next Step Recovery's women's program and to take a virtual tour of our beautiful homes and gardens, please visit www.nextstepforwomen.org.

Looking ahead there is still much work to be done. Be on the lookout for our freshly scrubbed and shiny new men's website as well, which we will launch later this month. We look forward to updating you on our Annual Campaign progress in next month's newsletter.

Hope you have a wonderful month!

Sincerely,

Susan Stader, MS, LPC, LCAS, NCC
Executive Director
(828) 350-9960