Woody Family 2023 Christmas Giving Idea

Sitting down and breaking bread with others at Christmas can be a wonderful thing.

I would ask you to start this short read with a quick reflection of your dinner table this past Christmas.

Hold that image in your mind’s eye as I walk you through this year’s fundraiser, a renewed commitment to move deeper into an authentic share and hopeful interaction. Let me try and bring you to my table, and the reason why I ask for your support today.

There was no escape. Sobering up, feeling the intensity of the emotions in my heart, and being far away from home and my boys.

I was forced to sit, stop talking, and learned to connect. In time I found the men who, like me, were scared, sad, and overwhelmed. We found a deeper connection amongst our shares, stories, and healing.

At 8:00 AM every day for 152 days we started the day with breakfast and a commonly held belief that we could make it one more day. We had the clothes on our backs, some willingness, and a full day of healing to endure. No phones or TV. No distractions, nowhere to hide or run out of our feelings.

We had a snack after our morning session, a breather to look out the window and just try n’ stand in the sun for a moment.

We had lunch, by then we were all a mess, and the room would fill with laughter. We had to learn to laugh at ourselves and of what we had all travelled through. I have always believed that you could find some great stand-up comedy in a treatment center. Dark but funny.

Then towards the end of the day, we came together and had dinner. Every single day in treatment centers across Canada – drunks and addicts share a common space 3 x a day. We return from battle (with ourselves), we park the shame, fear, anger, and sadness for a moment in time to finish the day with a meal.

I am asking you to help sponsor just one of those meals.

I return to this table every Christmas. I can tell an inspired tale of how tough it is (and it is) and how the folks at the 1835 House do lots with not much. I risk oversharing my story to capture your attention, to bring you closer to what I am asking you to participate in. Just after Remembrance Day I poke my head out in my own recovery story to do what I can for the folks doing the work this Christmas.

Come back to that moment we started with, the image of those around your table. Help me get one more person back to their family table next year.