Ron guides Recovery Group

Long serving CP Society members will not be surprised to know that Ron Hannken is still involved in serving his community'

About 3½ years ago it was my privilege to be involved in the setting up a Recovery Fellowship in Waihi, which is affiliated to The Salvation Army Waihi Corp.

The Recovery Fellowship is a Christ-centred course, based on the AA 12 Step program, which has been around for a number of years. Addicts come in many shapes and sizes. It is no respecter of race, religion or social standing. You can be addicted to any number of things but most commonly alcohol cigarettes food or gambling. An addiction can cause you to lose your employment, relationships health and finances and finally your life.

The beginning of recovery is often a week or two in a ‘drying out’ period called “detox’ which is followed by 12 weeks in a residential ‘rehab’ program.

After completion of the “rehab” program the hard work starts as the person rebuilds their lives and normal activities resume.

Our program meets once a week and has a set twelve step program that rolls over and continues throughout the year.

Unlike AA we have a program with a leader - in most cases the Salvation Army Officer/Minister leads the meeting. However I lead our group, because we have often been without an Officer for a variety of reasons.

From a personal point of view, I have been a Recovering Alcoholic for about 30 years and it is my belief that unless there is a willingness to change your lifestyle there is not much hope of staying clean.