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breaking the chains of addiction since 1984
Last Door Recovery Society Newsletter Newsletter #013
March 2010 
in this issue
:: Comedy Night
:: Sun Run Team
:: Alumni Give Back
:: Fishing Program gets bigger
:: Last Door soccer team
:: VCC students hear Last Door message
:: Do you know how much SSRIs were prescribed in Canada last year
:: Alumni of the Month
:: New Westminster's new waterfront
:: Recovery crosses boarders
Greetings!
peter 2

 
As the old saying goes ...."You can't have your cake and eat it too", however, at Last Door Youth Program you can!!  We are now a mere three months into 2010 and we have already celebrated six cakes, with many more to follow.  What does any of this mean in the bigger picture?  Inspiration, hope, celebration and most importantly, more proof to the new guy seeking recovery that recovery is possible. 

 

Underlying the fun-filled group sessions, heartfelt letters, morning step work, sponsor and alumni support, unorthodox staff meetings, family visits, routine house repairs there lies an energetic, youthful passion for recovery.  Morale is at an all time high, and as one resident summarizes his recovery experience by saying "This has been the best year of my life"!! 

 

We would love to express our deepest gratitude to the alumni, families, volunteers, staff, and staunch supporters (our backbone) who value and embrace the principles, values and standard of recovery as highly as we do.

 

Sincerely,

 

Peter Beka

Last Door Youth Program Coordinator 
Parents Group Facilitator

FUNDRAISER FOR KELOWNA CAMP OUT!

lafflines

 
Sunday May 2, 2010
 
Only 200 tickets available!
 
Bidding for Comedy Night tickets start at $50,
includes a new guy ticket.
 
Doors open at 5:30pm
 
Call 604-525-9771 to purchase your tickets.
 
This is the fifth year Last Door is attending the Central Okanagan Area Convention of Narcotics Anonymous.  The convention is a fun filled campout while Last Door residents get a chance to enjoy fellowship and fun in recovery. 
 
For more details on the campout please click here 
 
 
 

Last Door registers its Annual SUN RUN TEAM
 

sun run
Every Year the Last Door gang gets together to participate in the Sun Run.  Last year's team finished in the top ten.  Great work!
 
The team gets together twice a week to do a group run, ask Linda or JJ for more details or email [email protected]
 
Do you want to be part of Last Door's Corporate team? Follow these easy steps:

visit this link
  • click on Teams and Members Corporate
  • click on Join team
  • fill out your information
  • select team Last Door #5371
  • pay $45 to Sun Run

So far we have 20 team players running on May 9th, 2010.  GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

 
 
 
ALUMNI GIVE BACK
 
 Main house's living space gets a facelift!


Brian


Alumni Come Home....

The Last Door Alumni are both a source of inspiration and program support for current clients as they return home to help with renovations and the upgrade of our original living room, entry and office in the heritage house.

This month we've been helped by Brian A whose master drywall skills rendered the old ceilings with filler and restored a heritage finish.  Ryan C joined the crew to update the electrical systems.  Steve L  installed slate stonework on the fireplace, floor and theatre with the assistance of Kevin D.  Brian M picked up hammer and saw to help with the wood work. 
 
These alumni assisted a team of clients and staff as the living areas of the house got an upgrade from ceiling to floor.  A grant from Fraser Health for some new furniture has further helped make all this possible.  Painting starts this week and the rooms should be ready for enjoyment before month end.

It is amazing what the talent pool of Last Door Alumni and clients can accomplish and clients to come will be grateful for their efforts and support delivered with gratitude. 
Thanks for the donations received toward this project.
 
Regards,
 
Blair May
steve
 
aaron
 
check out April's Newsletter for the after shots .
 
 
Fishing Program keeps getting bigger!
 
der
Alumni left: Derek & right: Jim on the Fraser River at Hope
 
 
The Last Cast Fishing Program
 
The Last Door fishing program proved to be a great catch for 2009. There was a camping or day trip almost every weekend last spring, summer and fall. Many new relationships and positive memories were formed during these trips. Most importantly, the guys were still doing their basics and staying clean. Based on all the positive feedback from the guys that participated in the program we have come up with a few new ideas for 2010.
We are hoping to get more alumni, friends and family members involved in the fishing program by inviting you to participate in our camping and day trips.   Below are dates for some of this year's trips so you can plan ahead and make arrangements to join us. We encourage you to bring your father, son, sponsor/sponsees or anyone else that wants to get involved. What better way to get to know your sponsor/sponsee or to create new memories with friends and family.
Remarkably, our alumni base is growing in Terrace/Kitimat. We hope to make a couple trips up that way in June and October. Terrace and Kitimat are world renowned for their salmon fishery and now seem to be making a home for recovery. Alumni Jim M has been paving the way for others in his community and those visiting by starting a second weekly NA meeting called "Thursday Night Winners in Terrace".  Jim reports that the weekly attendance has been growing steadily. Way to go Jim! We're looking forward to seeing your new recovery friends and family soon.
Finally, we are forming a committee to look into the possibility of holding our first annual fishing derby. We are hoping to find a location that will meet all our needs. I was thinking that a lake with plenty of 5-10 lb rainbow trout would be perfect, but location and facilities are another important consideration. How about the Fraser River in our own back yard with an abundance of 25-35 lb Spring salmon? As long as it includes recovery, like camp fire meetings, sponsor/sponsee conversations and readings, we can't go wrong. If you enjoy fishing or just want to get involved we hope that you will come join us in making recovery more fun and enjoyable.
 
Contact Don at [email protected] if you are interested in being part of the Fishing Derby Planning Committee.  Meeting is Monday March 29th at 6 pm.
 
2010 Events
 
May Long-weekend Fly Fishing Trip:
         May 21, 22, 23, 24
         Island lake (Ashcroft) - Catch & Release only
         Camping - Tent only
         Facilities - Out house only
Terrace BC Chinook Trip/Alumni Meeting:
         Last Week in June/July Long-weekend
         Fly In/Out
         Hotel & Truck rental
         World's largest Chinook
Fraser River Spring Fishing:
         Runs from June to August
         Camping - tenting
         No facilities
         Day trips & Weekends
Terrace BC Coho Trip/Alumni Meeting: 
         Approx. Sept/Oct
         Fly in/out
         Hotel & Truck rental
         World's largest Coho
   
  

soccer ball

LAST DOOR ALUMNI CREATE SOCCER TEAM

Support Last Door's new soccer team made up of 20 alumnus.  Games are held at the Canlan Indoor Soccer Centre at Burnaby 8 Rinks.   The indoor soccer field features a state of the art new FieldTurf � playing surface and is also home to the fastest growing Indoor Soccer league in Canada!

The evening games provide the perfect opportunity for alumni and spectators to get together and have some fun in a sports setting.   Enjoy dinner or snacks upstairs at the Restaurant which offers prime viewing overlooking the Indoor Field.

 
GO DOOR BOYS GO!
 
Next games are:
 
March 15 @ 9:30 pm
March 30 @ 9:00 pm
 
 
 
Contact Chris or Kevin at [email protected] for more details or to sign up.
 
 
Students hear about Last Door's approach
 
VCC

On March 6, 2010 Last Door Staff along with a few residents spoke for students of Vancouver Community College's Foundations of Counselling course . The presentation involved participating in a discussion panel on Counsellor attitudes & skills that promote change and recovery.

 
 
 

SSRIs

Across Canada, pharmacies last year dispensed about 24 million prescriptions for SSRIs with a dollar value of $1.1 billion.

pills
 
What is SSRIs?
 
SSRIs are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, antidepressants that affect the serotonin levels in the brain. 
 
To learn more please read the following article written by Pamela Fayerman of the Vancouver Sun by clicking here .
 
Learn how SSRIs may increase the risk of cataracts.
 


Last Door Alumni of the Month

wade

(Wade comes back to BC to take his two year cake while volunteering for the 2010 Olympics.  Wade  also gets this photo opportunity with 2010 Gold Medalist Jon Montgomery)
 
 

Feb 28th, 2008 my dad dropped me off at the Last Door, unknown to me, my airline ticket from Calgary was one way, and I was also unaware of the incredible journey I was about to experience.  My life was about to change forever. 

 

is true of my story as it is for so many of my friends, that I had lost everything I owned.  Looking back today, more importantly I had lost my heart.  As I sat in the office at the Door, I was asked if I could remember the last time I was happy or had fun.  I stared at the floor and flipped through some snapshots in my mind.  I soon realized it had been years since I was actually present and a participant in a meaningful life. 

 
I had just lived the better part of twenty years as if it were a dream, more accurately a nightmare that I was unable to wake up from.  I was told not to leave before the miracle happens.  The staff and clients shared their experience with me.  I surrendered, I listened, and I learned to live my life without the use of drugs. 

 

The miracle of recovery , is not only the amazing freedom I en joy everyday from the obsession and compulsion to use drugs, it is also the ability to live in the moment, and experience feelings of joy and love that were so foreign to me for so many years.  

 

Through practising the spiritual principles that I was taught, I now celebrate recovery instead of suffer in addiction.  I recently realized a dream by volunteering at the Olympic Games.  On Feb 28, 2010, two years to the day that I was asked if I could remember being happy, or had fun, I was watching the Gold Medal game between USA and Canada at Canada Hockey Place. 

 

Most of the time my life is pretty good, and sometimes my life is great, greater than I could have ever hoped for.  I have learned to like myself and found friendship.  I came to know myself a little bit and found understanding.  I found faith, and from it freedom.  The Last Door saved my life, and I am forever in debt. 

 

It's true "that an addict, any addict, can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live.  Thanks Last Door.

 

Wade E, Clean date Feb 25, 2008

 

 
 
 Donating to Last Door is easy and affordable on anyone's budget!
 
Donate now or donate monthly by clicking on the following "Canada Helps" link.
 
 donate now
 
 Are you thinking about Planned Giving?
 
Everyone benefits from the power of a Planned Gift - you, your family and your charity. Of course, we want to ensure that each of these groups receives the maximum benefit possible; this is why Last Door Recovery Society offers a wide range of Planned Giving arrangements.  Please call 604-525-9771 to organize your gift giving.  
Learn more about Planned Giving by clicking here 
 


Open House -  New Westminster Downtown Waterfront Park
 

west


As you are likely aware, the City of New Westminster has been working on developing a new Downtown Waterfront Park at the former Westminster Pier site.  Due to grant requirements, the City is working under an aggressive time frame to finalize the conceptualization of the Park Master Plan.  


The City invites you to attend an important open house and workshop regarding the new waterfront park on March 17, 2010.  The Park Master Plan will be presented and everyone is encouraged to attend and share their comments/suggestions on this exciting project.  For more information please visit the project's
website  or contact Carolyn Armanini in the Development Services Department at 604.527.4647. 

Date:        Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Time:        Open House 4:30-6:00 pm (drop-in, Front foyer) 
                Workshop 6:00-8:30 pm (Council Chamber)

Location:  City Hall, 511 Royal Avenue, New Westminster 

We look forward to seeing you. 

Dean Gibson
Director of Parks, Culture, & Recreation
City of New Westminster
Telephone  604-527-4628   Fax   604-526-6358
E-mail 
[email protected]
Web  
www.newwestcity.ca

 

 

 
mexican flag
 
Message of recovery crosses boarders all the way to Mexico! 

Colleen M is 12 years clean today with the help of a phone call from Last Door's Dave and Louise to Reg and Angela at Charlford House.   While her ex-husband Russ was getting well at Last Door 17 years ago their 2 youngest children were saved from the insanity of addiction by spending time in the healthy environment provided by Last Door. 
 
Colleen had lost her ability to care for them and they were living with their grandparents who are also in recovery, they had talked with the kids and were preparing them for Colleen's possible overdose.  Everyone believed she would die and she believed that she deserved to die in a back alley of downtown Vancouver. 
 
With the help of the recovery community and Charlford house, Colleen has stayed clean and attended Vancouver Community College to obtain her CACCF (Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation) which she did while working at Charlford House.  She also spent 10 years as counsellor and group facilitator there. 
 
For the last year Colleen has been living in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and living the dream by opening her own Recovery Centre.  La Casa de Libertad is licensed through the Mexican Government and renovations took place before opening day.  Colleen says "my Higher Power was a big factor in coming here as it all fell into place in a miraculous way".
 
"None of this would have been possible if not for the support given to me by Dave, Louise and the rest of the gang at Last Door, I am so grateful for their continued support throughout my recovery".
 
Last Door helped her exhusband Russ in 1993 which in return helped her and her children have an amazing life. Last Door also assisted Colleen's oldest son many years ago and unfortunately he still struggles with his disease.
 
Colleen's life is now lived beyond her wildest dreams and she says she could go on and on and it's hard to put 12 years into a short story. 
 
Visit their website www.lacasadelibertad.com to learn more about their facility.
   
 
 
 
 
facebook
Join our facebook group and connect with friends, suporters and alumni. A great way to network with eachother. 
Click here to join!
 
 
  

address block

Thank you for taking the time to read our March edition of our monthly emailed newsletter.  To read past newsletters click here.
 
Please forward this newsletter on to people you may  think would be happy to hear from Last Door.
 
Sincerely,
 
Giuseppe Ganci
Last Door Recovery Society Public Relations
T: 604-329-7829
F: 604-525-3896