#RideForRefuge Well I Did It…Kinda

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Alberta, Calgary, community, compassion, Diana Schwenk, Fundraising, generosity, Gratitude, Hump Day Chronicles, laughter, Life's like that, living in the moment, Oxford House, passion, Purpose, recovery, Relationships, Ride for Refuge, thank you, world issues

Post registration, pre-ride photo.

WE HAD ANTICIPATED WARMER WEATHER, 19c/67f degrees to be exact, but in Calgary, it is hard to predict weather beyond 48 hours. On ride day, it seemed nice enough outside early in the morning, but it got quite windy and cold after the riders were sent out. And I swear, that no matter what direction the route took, the wind was blowing cold and full blast, into my face. Coupled with that, having gained at least 15 pounds since last year’s ride, I ended up having to dismount, a couple of times, part way up hills, and walk them.

I can laugh about it today, but another thing I did on ride day, was miss the 10km turn off, so I unwittingly rode about 5km more than I signed up for,(probably a good thing, seeing as I have gained weight), but I took two others with me! So you’d have to ask Earl and Kellie how they felt about me misleading them – sorry guys!

None of that is important when compared to the benefit that resulted through the compassionate efforts of the riders, walkers, donors and volunteers, who all played a role in raising over $20,000 for Oxford House. Practically speaking, this means that eight men or women in recovery, will have a home, and support in their recovery, for an entire year!

I personally want to thank those 20 people who supported my ride – together we raised $1,335! Also, I want to thank the 12 people who joined my team  who along with you, fundraised $5,460 in total for Oxford House.

My team, the Riders for Recovery

(L-R) Diana, Earl, Kellie, Tracey, Trish, Dean, Michael, Leanne, Ava and Pat. And missing from this photo are: Jaidyn, Ziyan, Karim and Donald

Who says you can’t goof around and work hard at the same time?

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

 

#YYCRocksforRecovery – A Huge Success!

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#yycrocksforrecovery, addiction, Alberta, believe, Calgary, community, compassion, courage, dancing, Diana Schwenk, Events, Fundraising, generosity, giving, Hump Day Chronicles, joy, kindness, Kings Head Pub, music, non-profit, passion, Purpose, recovery, Relationships, TLB Group

Wow – YYC Rocks for recovery raised $4,300!

Enough to provide a safe and sober Oxford home for two individuals for more than a year!

The energy and support at King’s Head Pub on Sunday, October 16^th for YYC Rocks for Recovery was palpable. 

Personally, and as a representative of Oxford House, I am so grateful to the TLB Group and its many volunteers who manned the door, sold wares, ran the auction, emceed the event, and who knows what else; King’s Head Pub, who provided all the food for volunteers; the Twenty-eight super talented bands who rocked the house down all afternoon and into the early hours of the morning; the amazing sponsors, the silent auction donors, and those who attended.

What a night!

I mean, how often can you get to see such high quality talent from so many musicians for $10 at the door these days? And each and every band played for free, played for Oxford House, played for the love of their craft – many sticking around after their set to support their fellow musicians.

Tracey, my coworker and I volunteered for a shift at the door early in the afternoon. The TLB volunteers were so welcoming and took the time to explain what we needed to do. It didn’t take me long to hand over the cover-charge-taking and tracking duties to Tracey who is the Financial Coordinator at Oxford House and way more proficient at these things than I am. That left me free to do the hand stamping, free haircut coupon distribution and the directing of musicians and volunteers to where they needed to go. The volunteer door shift was a blast.  One could feel the good vibes that came in with attendees.

Much to my pleasant surprise, my long-time friend Carmen whom I ran into by chance the day before on 17^th Avenue, showed up with her niece Stephanie to support the event. Carmen bid on several auction items, the last of which lit her face up like a Christmas tree when she won it. She can’t wait to take her friend from Montana on a guided fly fishing tour on the Bow River.

Mike Robertson, who donated the package for the auction stopped by to chat with us and was thrilled that Carmen was so happy about her upcoming fishing adventure. “I’ve been in recovery for thirteen years,” Mike told us. “And when I heard about YYC Rocks for Recovery I just had to do my little part.”

And that same spirit of generosity permeated the entire event. I was so blown away by everyone involved – it was ‘community in action’, coming together as one to rock the world of individuals in recovery.

Enjoy the photo gallery below

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And now a little taste of the stage and people thoroughly enjoying themselves on the dance floor…

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

For more information on the TLB Group

For WAY more photos and videos: YYC Rocks for Recovery Event Page

For more information about Oxford House

We Did It Together – Thank You!

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Alberta, Calgary, community, compassion, Diana Schwenk, Edmonton, Events, Fundraising, Hump Day Chronicles, Oxford House, recovery, Ride for Refuge, thank you

Here are all the people who rode and walked for Oxford House on Saturday, October 1, 2016. That’s me, second from the left!

It was a great day. It was raining and I was soaked to the bone, but they told me that last year there were some pretty strong winds which made the hills all the much harder.

Let’s ride!

Some of the hills were a challenge for me, but I pushed through one push of the pedal at a time. I just kept thinking about the residents we would be helping and those of you who supported my ride.

And at the eleventh hour, a final donation came in that helped me reach my personal goal of $2,000 which will provide 1 resident in recovery with a safe and supported home for an entire year – thanks to you and all the others who supported me!

At an organizational level, Oxford House raised in excess of $13,000 which will provide an entire house of 5 residents, and then some, a safe and sober home for an entire year!

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

Thanks again to everybody who supported me and all the Oxford House riders and Walkers!

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Thank You For Your Support!

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addiction, Alberta, Calgary, Canada, Edmonton, Fundraising, living in the moment, mission, Oxford House, passion, Purpose, recovery, Ride for Refuge

It means so much more than I can express in words, but I’m going to give it a shot!

On October 1st, I’m taking part in the Ride for Refuge to support a charity that’s very close to my heart – Oxford House Foundation of Canada.

I am so grateful to those of you who made a donation. Your support means so much to me, but more importantly it makes a huge difference in the life of someone in recovery living in an Oxford home.

To date, you have helped me raise $725. That translates to providing a safe and sober home for a man or woman in recovery for 133 days! And that’s just amazing – YOU are amazing!

Let me tell you why this matters so much to me; why I’ve decided to participate in the Ride for Refuge to support Oxford House.

As you might know, I’ve spent the last twenty-five plus years in the non-profit sector, working toward empowering some of the most vulnerable people to live their lives to the fullest. I have now found myself at Oxford House, an organization that helps men and women in recovery by providing a home – a safe place where they can be themselves and honest about their situation. Where they can get support from experienced and caring support workers. Where they can be supported by, and provide support for, their roommates who are taking the same journey toward an enriched and full life equipped with the tools they need to stay sober.

I’ve only been at Oxford House for a little over a year and have met so many amazing people through Oxford House, like John, who made an insane amount of money up north and fell headfirst into addiction. When he was finally ready to take his life back, he found his way to Oxford House where he found a job with way less pay than he was used to, yet allowed him the space he needed to work on his sobriety and help others along the way by volunteering at meetings. To his amazement, John was able to save more money than he thought possible because he was no longer feeding his addiction. John has come a long way since he first landed on our doorstep. He continues to go to meetings, work with sponsees and share his story.

John plans to marry his girlfriend soon and has just purchased his first home. I am so proud of John, and so proud to work with the amazing and passionate team at Oxford House as they help countless other men and women to take their lives back.

So thank you so much for supporting my ride. You are making a huge difference!

Can I ask one more thing of you? Would you kindly share this post with others in the blogosphere or Facebook, Twitter, etc., who may be interested in supporting me on my ride to help others like John?

Donations to this worthy cause can be made securely through the link below – using credit card or Paypal, and your friends will receive a charitable receipt immediately. 

https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/FundraisingPage.aspx?registrationID=3475343&langPref=en-CA

Thank you again for helping me to reach my goal!

Diana

Please Support My Ride!

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Alberta, community, Diana Schwenk, donate, Fundraising, Hump Day Chronicles, passion, Ride for Refuge

July 23 Update: I am happy to say I’ve hit $580 as of today. Thank you to all my blogging friends who donated. ❤

I must be out of my mind. On October 1st, I’m going to get on my bike (can you imagine?) and huff and puff my way to the finish line in the Ride for Refuge, a walking and cycling event for the displaced, vulnerable, and exploited.

I’m doing it because I want to help the residents of Oxford House Foundation of Canada, and I want to do it even more than I hate biking up hills. And even though I’m not in the best of shape, I’m willing to ride, along with my team members and other Oxford House teams to raise funds to support a whole house of residents for a whole year! Would you be interested in sponsoring my grueling journey?

Here’s how much I’ve raised thus far. Please help me reach my goal!

Oxford House is an awesome organization that helps people in recovery from addictions through the provision of safe and effective sober homes where residents can work on their sobriety, heal broken relationships and take their lives back just like Jordan did. (See his story below)

So, will you support my ride by donating $25 or $50 or any amount you choose? Click on the link below to visit my page and give securely online:

https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/FundraisingPage.aspx?registrationID=3475343&langPref=en-CA

Thanks in advance for your support!

Leg-crampingly yours, Diana

 

Jordan’s story 

Jordan says living in an Oxford home with other men who understand where he is coming from and know the same struggles that he is going through is instrumental in carrying him forward. Jordan developed the skills he needed for life-long sobriety in his Oxford Home. “I’m the kind of guy who wears my heart on my sleeve. During my stay at Oxford House I learned how to read people, how to assess environments and how to take my recovery one day at a time.”

His roommates were crucial to his recovery. Five guys all living under one roof, all of whom, in his words, “you can’t pull the wool over their eyes, they know when you’re not being honest.” Oxford House was the healthy environment Jordan needed and he very much appreciated the ‘No Strike’ rule. “If you’re not ready, can’t stay clean and sober, you’re out.”

But bar none, the best thing that’s happened as a result of his sobriety is the restoration of his relationship with his daughter.

“She’s my heart, no words can express the way I feel about her.”

As to when his addiction began, Jordan says, “My addictions started when I was 19. I had low self-esteem, low self-worth.” During his time in high school, he lost confidence in himself. He started to drink which in turn led to marijuana, crack and opiates. Over the years, Jordan learned many hard lessons. He had many ‘bottoms’ – relapses, Jail, almost died once and was homeless three times.

“The first time I tried to stop, I was 25 and I’m 36 now.”

There came the day when he’d had enough. He determined to use his hard times to change his life and lean on his higher power. “Faith is the cornerstone of my recovery. I’ve been sober nine months now, that’s the longest I’ve ever been clean.”

On April 1^st Jordan moved into his own apartment.

Jordan continues to attend 12-step meetings and one of his closest supports is his sister, who is also in recovery. He also started working out recently.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

Sponsor Diana

More about Oxford House

A New Chapter

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addiction, Alberta, believe, building community, Calgary, caring, Charity, Community engagement, courage, Diana Schwenk, dream, Fundraising, Homelessness, Hump Day Chronicles, life, living in the moment, Oxford House, teamwork

Good morning!
It’s a wonderful day!!
Thank you!!!

Those are the words I wrote on my whiteboard at the end of April.

It was the springboard to a shift in my thinking; from fear to trust. From despair to hope. A knowing that if I brought my best self forward, things would work out.

Hanging out my own shingle as a consultant was a wonderful experience. I learned so much from the few clients I worked with. But early in the year, it became very clear that it wasn’t going to be sustainable, and I began looking for full-time work.

So as I was closing off a very successful campaign I’d been working on with an amazing group of people, I turned my attention to finding full-time work.

It was a trying time, in the sense that jobs in my area of expertise seemed to have dried up all of a sudden. I had a few bites here and there and even a few close calls to maybe jobs, but nothing panned out. Although I still had enough money to keep me going for a few months, my future was unsure.

Let’s just say that by the time April came, I was ready to do any kind of job. So I picked myself up by the boot straps and wrote the above message on my whiteboard to help me start every day on the right foot. A message that I read out loud every morning on the way to my coffee pot in the kitchen.

And then some promising opportunities started to come my way. A phone call from someone in Vancouver who heard of me from someone I had coffee with because someone else suggested we should meet, and another job posting that looked promising and finally another possibility to work with someone I hold in high regard and respect tremendously.

That last possibility moved to the top of my wish list and I am happy to say that’s the position I was offered and accepted.

So finally my dear friends, as promised, here’s my update.

On May 1st, I started my new job at Oxford House; an organization that provides homes for men and women in recovery. Oxford House has 31 homes across Calgary and Edmonton. Each home has 4-5 bedrooms and provides a safe and welcoming space for men and women who are recovering from alcohol and drug addiction.

Oxford House has its beginnings in the United States with hundreds of homes throughout that country. Here in Canada, Oxford House was founded by the previous executive director who sadly passed away late last year . I am learning about him and the rich history of this incredible organization from the small group of people who make up the staff here.

A passionate staff, all of whom are also in recovery and some are even previous residents of Oxford House; deeply committed to helping others take responsibility for their recovery and make valuable contributions to their community.

How lucky am I to be part of something so amazing? I look forward to learning more about Oxford House and working within this dedicated team to build on the wonderful foundation that has already been laid.

The community-builder inside me is beside herself with joy.

I can’t wait to tell you more in the coming weeks and months!

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

No one should be left out in the cold

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believe, Calgary, Calgary Dream Centre, Canada, Charity, community, compassion, Corpus Christi Male Chorale, courage, Diana Schwenk, dreams, Fundraising, generosity, Hump Day Chronicles, Legacy Kitchens, Music for a Winter Evening, Room for Hope Campaign, Tenore

 

Addiction traps you in a seemingly inescapable cycle.

It drives a wedge between you and your loved ones.

It steals away your ability to live your life to the fullest.

And is compounded for those who are experiencing homelessness. 

Take Jason for example. Addiction holds a tight grip on his life and it tears away at all the dreams he holds in his heart for a better life.

He wants nothing more than to pull these pieces of his life together again. To restore his relationship with his children. To feel like the provider and father he so desperately wants to be.

For several months, I have been working with a dedicated group of partners on The Room for Hope Campaign – a campaign whose goal it is to help 75 men escape the cycle of addiction and homelessness. Their commitment, passion and determination has been a great source of inspiration for me. What a privilege it has been to facilitate the process of this campaign.

 About the Room for Hope Campaign

Room for Hope is a 9-week campaign (October 10 – December 16) that culminates with the Music for a Winter Evening Concert hosted by Darrel Janz with performances by The Corpus Christi Male Chorale and featuring Guest Artist Tenore at the Jack Singer Concert Hall.

Legacy Kitchens and Dennis Plintz & Associates with Sotheby’s International Realty Canada are proud sponsors of the Room for Hope Campaign to benefit the Calgary Dream Centre. They have set an ambitious goal to raise $120,000 through this campaign and the Music for a Winter Evening concert.

The campaign is a local, well-established event that has fundraised $1.3 million in the last 13 years toward alleviating homelessness in Calgary.

The Calgary Dream Centre’s addiction treatment program is a 40-day program based on the Hazelden’s ‘Living in Balance’ and ‘Integrating Dialectical Behaviour Therapy’ model. It includes a room, meals, addictions counseling and on site meetings. From there, recovering men move into shared transitional housing with continued treatment and emphasis on developing a toolbox for life. The Calgary Dream Centre also offers housing throughout Calgary with continued supports; ensuring the greatest long-term success for program graduates.

It costs $1,600 to complete the treatment program. $280 helps a man for one week. $40 helps a man for one day.

If you live in Canada will you consider donating to the Room for Hope Campaign this year?

If you live in Calgary and would also like to attend the Music for a Winter Evening concert, please click here to learn more and get your $30 tickets.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

100% of donations and ticket sales benefit the work of the Calgary Dream Centre

Easy to Start, Hard to Stop

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200 words, celebrate, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, entrepreneur, Fundraising, generosity, hard work, learning, listen, mission, Purpose, sacrifice, share knowledge, tenacity, The Other Bottom Line, vision

To succeed, you need to be easy to start and hard to stop. ~ unattributed

It’s been one year since I started The Other Bottom Line. And in that time, I’ve:

• provided one organization with their fund development history and 3-5 year strategy.
• worked with another organization as a bum-in-a-seat employee.
• facilitated the process to find a sponsor for, and drafted a gift agreement for another.
• helped another consulting company conduct searches for two non-profits.

The in-between times haven’t always been easy. I’ve had my hopes dashed a few times. I’ve spent some time playing the ‘Hurry Up and Wait’ game. I’ve been disheartened.

When I have wanted to give up, I kept going by:

• Documenting processes and accomplishments; referring to them often.
• Doing the things I vehemently didn’t want to do; moving them to the top of the list.
• Sacrificing the fluffy things. You’d be amazed how much you don’t really need.
• Being generous. Sharing knowledge and expertise.
• Celebrating the wins. Learning from the losses, then moving past them.
• Being open. Asking questions. Listening to others who have been there. 

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

How do you ensure that you’re easy to start and hard to stop?