VolunteerCONNECTION - December 2024

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Subject: VolunteerCONNECTION - December 2024

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As the final days of 2024 unfold, I find myself reflecting on the impact of your dedication this year. Your commitment to creating spaces of connection, support, and empowerment within the SMART community has touched countless lives. Your dedication makes a difference for so many.

This season offers an opportunity to pause, reflect, and recharge. No matter how you spend this time—celebrating, resting, or welcoming a fresh start with the new year—I hope you’ll take a moment to acknowledge the role you’ve played in supporting recovery journeys.

As we look ahead to 2025, I’m excited about what’s to come. With new opportunities for learning, connection, and growth on the horizon, I know we’ll continue to build an even stronger community together.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Wishing you peace, joy, and renewal as we step into the new year.

With gratitude,

Director of Meetings and Volunteers

Reminders

Holiday Meeting Changes

Meeting schedules can shift during the holidays, and participants rely on up-to-date information. If your meeting will be impacted—whether canceled or rescheduled—updating your listing helps everyone plan ahead.

Adding a cancellation notice is quick and easy, and it will automatically appear on SMARTfinder for the affected week.

For step-by-step instructions on updating your meeting, visit Register and Update Your SMART Recovery Meeting. If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to VolunteerHQ@smartrecovery.org.

Expanding SMART's Reach With The Phoenix App

We’re excited about our growing partnership with The Phoenix—a collaboration designed to increase the visibility and accessibility of SMART Recovery meetings. By listing your in-person SMART Recovery meeting on The Phoenix App, you’ll connect with nearby community members actively seeking support.

An email with detailed instructions has been sent to all facilitators of registered in-person meetings. If you didn’t receive it or have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Melina Gilbert directly at mgilbert@smartrecovery.org.

Announcements

📚 Join the SMART Recovery Book Club! 📚

Dive into Undoing Drugs by Maia Szalavitz, a groundbreaking exploration of harm reduction and its role in transforming addiction recovery. Open to all facilitators and facilitators-in-training, this interactive book club will deepen your understanding of harm reduction principles, challenge biases, and inspire more inclusive meeting spaces.

🗓 Date: Monday, January 27, 2025, 8:30 PM ET

📍 Where: Zoom (Register here!)

🔍 Learn More: Click here!

Let’s connect, learn, and grow as a SMART Recovery community

Updated Handbooks and Resources Coming Soon!

We’re excited to share that updated versions of the 4-Point and Family & Friends Participant Handbooks are nearly complete! These revisions reflect feedback from the SMART community and incorporate insights from recent research to make SMART Recovery even more inclusive and accessible. The updated handbooks feature:

Clearer, simplified language.
Examples that reflect a broader range of experiences.
Refreshed tools and exercises designed to empower participants on their recovery journey.

An email has been sent to facilitators of active SMART Recovery meetings with a link to confirm shipping details for a complimentary handbook. Be sure to check your inbox and complete the form by January 15, 2024 to ensure delivery.

In addition to the handbooks, updates to the 4-Point and Family & Friends Facilitator Manuals are underway, with plans to roll out a new facilitator training platform in 2025. We look forward to sharing more about these exciting resources as they become available!

Together, these updates mark an important step in supporting recovery and expanding SMART’s impact in the year ahead.

Daytime Volunteer Support Meetings:

Holiday Hiatus

As we move through the holiday season, all daytime Volunteer Support Meetings will be on hiatus from now through January 6, 2025.

This time of year is an opportunity to pause, reflect, and recharge. We hope you can take moments to enjoy the season and return refreshed in the new year.

Evening Volunteer Support Meetings will continue as usual unless otherwise noted on the SMARTfinder listings.

If you have any questions or need assistance during this time, feel free to reach out to us at volunteerhq@smartrecovery.org.

Events & Opportunities

SMART's 2025 National Conference

Registration is open for the 2025 SMART Recovery National Conference!

📅 When: April 3–4, 2025
📍 Where: Hilton Charlotte Airport, Charlotte, NC

This two-day event will feature empowering sessions, inspiring keynote speakers, and opportunities to connect with fellow volunteers and professionals from across the SMART community.

Key Highlights:

Inspiring speakers including Mark Sanders, Sarah Laurel, and David Best.
Workshops designed to strengthen and support your role as a volunteer.
Networking opportunities to build connections within the SMART Recovery community.

Space is limited to 250 attendees, so don’t wait to secure your spot!

Learn more and register here: SMART Recovery 2025 Conference Page

Final Thoughts

Thank you for all that you do to support the SMART Recovery community. We hope you find these newsletters valuable as a way to stay connected and informed.

As we look ahead to 2025, we’re excited to re-envision the VolunteerCONNECTION newsletter to better serve you. Your ideas and feedback are invaluable to this process! If there’s a topic, resource, or idea you’d like to see included in future issues, we’d love to hear from you.

Share Your Ideas Here

Together, we’ll make this newsletter an even stronger resource for our incredible volunteer community.

Share your Ideas

Submit Your Group Donations
to SMART Recovery

Your group donations to SMART Recovery help empower individuals nationwide with tools and communities to reduce or resolve any addictive behavior. After you've covered any local rent or supply expenses, please send the surplus to the National Office. These funds are important to our ongoing support of meetings and volunteers nationally.

Submit Your Group Donation

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

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Subject: VolunteerCONNECTION - December 2024