The additional office space will be greatly appreciated as I
reach out towards the next phases in my life. There are changes about to take
place and I hope that some of those changes will affect my readers in a positive
manner.
Thanks to all the contributors on our funding site, OARS now
has its own independent website on Ning.com. I will provide the link at the end
of this post. The Facebook site is still up and running and will continue to do
so, but for those who aren’t on FB there is another alternative. The
independent site will be the primary website for OARS. It is private and
secure. New members must fill out the appropriate questionnaire and be approved
by an administrator. Each person will have their own page that they can
customize to their liking. I request every member to go to their page and change
their name to a nickname if they prefer complete anonymity.
Just like Facebook, it is free to join the independent site
and free to use. All are welcome who are dealing with the realities of
alcoholism. The new site offers several different groups for more specific
discussions – such as one for parents of an alcoholic or siblings or spouse.
There’s even a space for alcoholics! There is a “humor” group just to keep us
laughing. We have a place for posting videos, pictures, etc. A calendar of
events will keep us informed of relevant activities. We can easily find
personal one-on-one help by consulting our map of members and find someone
geographically close to each of us.
Next on the agenda is our very first OARS group meeting
planned for Spring 2013. We will meet somewhere (probably in the mid region of
the USA) and share stories, laughter and support. The type of place depends
greatly on how many people express a definite interest in attending. This will
be our inaugural meeting, which means we will be laying a lot of ground work
for our organization.
Besides our big meeting, there will be smaller groups
forming all over the US and, hopefully, beyond. While these groups will be similar
to Al-Anon in providing support, they will be different because we are not a
12-step program. Each meeting will provide something enjoyable for the member
to experience – a dinner out, miniature golf, a movie, anything that provides a
bit of respite for the caretaker. These meeting
will always include sharing stories and offering of support and resources.
I had thought a few months back that I would write a
cookbook and include all the recipes that helped me use cooking as an escape.
However, the OARS members are creating a cookbook of their own and will be
selling it as a fundraiser. I was hoping it would be out before the holidays,
but that’s not going to be able to be the case. Our new goal is to have it out
before Mother’s Day. It will be a great gift for either Mother’s or Father’s
Day.
There is investigation into OARS becoming a non-profit
organization. We have an advisory committee in place and we are diligently
working on this prospect. More funding is needed to make this a reality. It
always seems odd to me that it costs a considerable amount of money to become a
non-profit. The filing fee alone is $845. That doesn’t include an attorney’s
fee, accountant, etc. We will be applying for grants and seeking more
assistance with funding, but for now we are completely dependent on the Go
Fund Me site for financial support.
As you can see, I may not have been HERE, but I have not
been idle. That new office space is going to really be a blessing! On my wish
list is an assistant who can help me get my office organized and keep me on
track!
The Immortal Alcoholic’s Wife is still only available on this site as a PDF file only. I’m
hoping to get into Kindle version before the end of the year. I’m working with
a printer to make real soft cover books. I’m not sure when they will be
available, but hopefully in the same time frame as the Kindle. I have several
other books in my brain just trying to crawl out, but they will have to wait.
The Workbook for Caretakers of End-Stage Alcoholic’s is being updated,
revised and improved. Anyone who already has the workbook will receive the
updated version for a very nominal price. Expect the workbook to be out before
the Spring meeting of OARS.
I think that should catch you up on what I’m doing. I know
this is just business stuff and what you really want is to hear about my take
on medical info and daily living with an end-stage alcoholic. Check here
tomorrow and I think you will find what you really want.
To become a member of OARS on the new website go here:
To become a
member of OARS on Facebook go here:
To make a financial contribution via Go Fund Me and help OARS grow into a non-profit
organization and assist with other expenses, please go here:
Tomorrow I’ll be writing about Riley’s current condition and
my exciting rounds of visits to the doctor and psychologist. I hope you come
back and read about my continual adventures thru the medical looking glass and
back.
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