Naughty or Nice? That's Not For Us to Decide

As part of our Operation Band-Aid efforts this Christmas season, I have been hard at work drumming up donations. Through email, word of mouth, blogs, and anything else I can think of, I've done my best to let others know about the ministry of Addiction Overcome, Inc. and how it can offer hope to families struggling to break free of addiction. I would like to share a small portion of an email that I received recently:

"You will find that I am unsympathetic to those overcoming an addiction they had to choose in the first place. "

The sender concludes the email with:

"God granted us free will and those who choose to abuse it get none of my sympathy or support."

Whether you agree with the sender on the issue of helping those who are struggling to overcome addiction is completely your prerogative. I urge you to consider the following thoughts that were in Jon Carroll's recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle in which he describes an altruistic effort to give $20 bills to street people as an act of random kindness:


"It is possible that the recipients of your $20 will spend the money on inappropriate things. It is also possible that you will spend your salary on inappropriate things. It is possible that they will get drunk and cause a disturbance. It is possible that you will get drunk and drive a car. We are all flawed beings on this planet, and we none of us get out alive, no matter what our score on the Virtue-meter."

We here at Addiction Overcome, Inc. do whatever it takes to ensure that your gifts are not misappropriated. It is not our policy to give cash handouts to addicts, or even give gifts that would easily be pawned or sold. Myself having been on the "naughty" side of things for a time, I have an keen sense for how to give or not give to these families in need. The gifts we are preparing to distribute are things the children have requested. They are things that the parents are unable to give because of their current situation.
This Christmas season, please open your heart and make the difference in the life of a child or teen who's parents are in the process of making their families whole again. The process of Overcoming Addiction is a long one. Your donations can help us help them pass the time with a little less anxiety and heartache.

Interested in knowing about MY story? Click here to order my book The Other Woman at the Well: A Truthful Accounting of Addiction Overcome.

Thank you for your generosity! Your gifts are much appreciated.