VolunteerCONNECTION - December 2021

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Subject: VolunteerCONNECTION - December 2021

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This issue includes:

Announcements & Reminders

Holiday Meetings Changes

We are anticipating an increase in meeting requests due to the holidays. Please submit your Winter Holiday Meeting Changes at least three days before the effected date.

Thank You!

As we near the end of 2021, we want to stop to reflect and celebrate with you, our volunteers. We could not be more grateful for the work you give back to our organization. Whether you are retired, a student, have a full time job, or are a stay at home parent, all of us lead our own busy lives.

We hope that you are maintaining lifestyle balance during this holiday season. Your dedication fuels us to give everything we can to the organization. You inspire us on a daily basis. Thank you for all that you are.

With Gratitude,

Melina & Molly

Also affectionately known as M&M

The Local Meeting Finder is Updated

We’re excited to announce that our new Local Meeting Finder has been updated and is now live on our site. We encourage you to share the information below with others.

You can try it now at https://meetings.smartrecovery.org or by visiting our SMART Recovery homepage “Find a Local Meeting” links.

A few things to know:

It starts with a location search like the current finder. It defaults to searching meetings (both In-Person and Online) within 100 miles of that location.
A key difference: search results are sorted BY TIME, starting with the current and next upcoming meetings near that location at the top of the list. This is a huge benefit for those searching for meetings that fit their schedule and those that need a meeting urgently.
Meeting start times are automatically shown in your local time zone
Check out the Filters! Click that orange button and narrow your search results by:
1. Day of Week (only have free time on Mondays for a meeting?)
2. Online vs In-Person
3. Distance (between 10 and 250 miles from the location searched)
4. Tags (looking specifically for Family & Friends? Or an LGBTQ meeting?)
Click on any meeting to get details and helpful actions including:
1. Add to Calendar
2. Join on Zoom (for online meetings)
3. Map/Directions
Meetings that are tagged as private and not open to the general public are not included. If assistance is needed to locate this type of meeting please contact the National Office at 440-951-5357 Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 6:00 p.m. ET.

Please use the Contact Us page right in SMARTfinder or click to it directly with this link: https://meetings.smartrecovery.org/meetings/feedback/ to provide feedback.

Helpful Hints

Face-to-Face, Local Online, & SROL Verifications:

We have received a lot of questions about how verifications differ between face-to-face, local online, and SMART Recovery Online (SROL) meetings. Here is the gist of it:
- Face-to-Face: Typically participants bring a card for the facilitator to sign when in a face-to-face setting. Sometimes a facilitator may want to have a verification form on hand just in case. You can download and print the form found in VolunteerHQ. You can get to the form by choosing “Volunteer Resources” and then "Meeting Resources" in the menu. You can also get to it by clicking HERE.
- Local Online: Because these meetings are virtual, a physical form is not an option. In these instances, facilitators can use the same form referenced above to provide verifications to their participants. Because the form is a fillable PDF, the information can be typed in and sent directly to the participants email address.
- SMART Recovery Online (SROL): Verifications for these meetings are provided through our automated system. Participants who attend a SROL meeting that provides verifications, submit a form after the meeting or within 5 days and our system works with Zoom data to determine the amount of time they were present at the meeting. If the participant qualifies, a verification letter is sent to the participant through our system, typically the next day. NOTE: Because these verifications are based on the Zoom name, participants may need instructions on how to change their Zoom name, those can be found HERE. The SROL verification request form can be found at www.smartrecovery.org/verifications after logging into SROL.
  
  For verification questions, please contact verifications@smartrecovery.org

Volunteer Resources at Your Fingertips

At SMART Recovery we know that our volunteers are our greatest asset. Without you and your dedication, the people who need our support would not have access to it. We want you to know that SMART leadership is committed to supporting you as you support others. We heard you when you told us that you wanted volunteer resources in one place so you could quickly and easily access them, this is why we created VolunteerHQ.

Whether you need to register a new SMART Recovery meeting, make changes to an existing meeting, get in touch with your Regional Coordinator, or find out how to convert your current face-to-face meeting over to a local online meeting, VolunteerHQ is the place. While a login is required for registration forms and volunteer only meeting links, most of the resources can be found under the public access section of the menu.

If you have already visited the site, THANK YOU! If you haven’t visited stop by. We encourage you to visit often as this is where you can find the most current resources and announcements. If you have suggestions for additional resources that you think should be included, please let us know by using the contact us at the bottom of the page or by emailing our Volunteer Support Manager, Melina Gilbert, directly at mgilbert@smartrecovery.org.

Volunteer Opportunities

The Fletcher Group RCOE initiative

SMART Recovery is currently engaged in a partnership with The Fletcher Group to bring SMART Recovery into recovery homes in rural counties. This partnership means we’ll be able to increase our footprint in these areas, and volunteers are a key part of this important effort.

There are still a limited number of compensated facilitator positions available for volunteers. A modest stipend will be provided because of the partnership agreement between Fletcher Group and SMART.

This is a unique opportunity for volunteers who are willing to commit their time to advance a new kind of endeavor for SMART. Volunteers will facilitate one or more 12-session programs, using the Successful Life Skills handbook. Please let us know if you are interested in learning more.

New Year's Eve Around the World

We are looking for volunteers to host an hour for New Year’s Eve Around the World. Please CLICK HERE if you are interested. We will contact you with confirmation details.

Volunteer for NYEATW

November Recap

Visit SMART by the Numbers in VolunteerHQ to see our monthly report on training, meetings and volunteers.

Meetings of Interest for Volunteers

SMART 4 Volunteers (S4V)

SMART 4 VOLUNTEERS (S4V) is a private SMART Recovery meeting for our volunteers. While volunteering, people need to take time to focus on themselves. We offer a place where you can focus on your own wellbeing and recovery, with the security of being supported by your peers. This meeting has a different purpose than the SMART Meeting Management (SMM) meetings.

This group meets on Wednesdays from 5:00 p.m. till 6:00 p.m. ET. and is facilitated by Jasper2016.

SMART Meeting Management (SMM) Meetings

If you are interested in furthering your meeting management skills or more smoothly handling challenges you might encounter while facilitating your meeting, this is the meeting is for you!

The SMART Meeting Management (SMM) meetings are every:

Monday: 10:00 p.m. ET
Wednesday: 8:00 p.m. ET
Friday: 6:00 p.m. ET

(NOTE: Zoom links for these meetings are behind the VHQ login or on SMARTCAL.)

This holiday season, when many will find themselves stressed, the challenges of addiction are even greater. Feelings of isolation can grow, and the ongoing pandemic only makes it more difficult.

But you can make a difference.

Will you please send a year-end, tax-deductible gift by midnight, December 31 to help someone’s mother, brother, child, relative, neighbor, or friend?

Your generous contribution will ensure that SMART Recovery’s free self-empowering meetings and resources continue to be abundantly available for those in need. Because everyone deserves to live Life Beyond Addiction.

Support SMART

Submit Your Group Donations
to SMART Recovery

Your group donations to SMART Recovery help empower millions worldwide with tools to recover from any substance or activity addiction.

SMART Recovery is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

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