Bay Area Recovery Center Answers the Call of the Community
Volunteers Reach Out to Give Where They Live
HOUSTON – February 1, 2010 – Bay Area Recovery Center (BARC) staff, alumni and volunteers teamed up on Saturday, December 19, for their annual day of giving. The event took place at the corner of Congress and Chartres downtown, near the Star of Hope Women’s and Men’s Centers.
Each year, about a week before Christmas, the crew gathers together for this event. This year, an estimated 250 volunteers donated their time and energy to the event and approximately 300 hot plates were served. In addition to a hot meal, the crew also distributed new blankets, socks and resource packets that included information on local healthcare facilities, homeless shelters, soup kitchens and treatment centers. Volunteers say the turnout this year was the largest in the last six years. The need is likely due to the difficult economic times.
Photo Caption: Bay Area Recovery Center alumni and volunteers distribute more than 300 hot plates, new blankets, socks and informational packets to the homeless.
“This is our ninth consecutive day of giving and we have seen firsthand the impact it can make,” said Lance Clemons, BARC facility director. “It doesn’t matter how insignificant a contribution may seem, because when we come together, we all make a difference in the lives of those around us, and we hope to do that by continuing this tradition for many years to come.”
“Learning to help others is a big part of the lessons learned here at Bay Area Recovery Center,” said Joe Shipley, CEO of BARC. “So, this event is something that not only feeds the hungry, but also helps bring our counselors, clients, alumni, family and friends together.”
"To me, my brother was always "just there." It seemed like no one saw him, heard him, even me. I won't go into specifics of how his drug use started and where it went, that's not necessary....only that it got so bad that he might as well have been dead, because there was no Jeremy. Just a body hanging around, which by the way if you've never loved someone with a drug problem, is far worse than them actually being dead."
"But he did not die. He was reborn. I searched for days on end for the "right" kind of recovery for him. Something kept bringing me back to this one place: Bay Area Recovery Center. I searched over and over to figure out why. I sifted through so much information and talked to so many people, but I just knew that was the place. Well, I didn't know, God knew and whispered it to me, so to speak."
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