A record-breaking 375 guests attended the 12th Annual Victorian Tea on April 10, raising over $60,000. The event was chaired by Christie Smith, Sojourner House board member and Sojourner House MOMS board treasurer. Special thanks to honorary co-chairs Pittsburgh City Councilman Dan Gilman and his wife Amanda Gilman. Kathy Slencak, Manager of Public Relations at CentiMark Corporation and CentiMark Foundation was this year's Pearl of Hope recipient. Brenda Waters, anchor and reporter for KDKA-TV, was the event emcee. The event featured a silent auction, basket raffle, and program that included live testimonials of Sojourner House and Sojourner House MOMS graduates. Guests were among a unique audience to view the debut of a new video, "Fight Song," set to pop-artist Rachel Platten's … [Read more...] about Thank you, Victorian Tea supporters!
recovery
rit·u·al (noun) 1. A religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order. Seeing your drug dealer across the street; touching the bag of heroin he surreptitiously places in your palm; hearing the flick of the lighter as your finger rolls across the striker wheel; the bittersweet smell of tan powder cooking over a cheap metal spoon. The act of drug use is ritualistic in nature. The user participates in a specific series of actions, these actions often being the hardest habits to break. But the mothers of Sojourner House welcomed a new ritual into their lives, and left the old ones at the Sojourner House entrance. Sojourner House residents gather to observe rituals symbolizing their journey on the road to recovery. Led by … [Read more...] about Rites of Passage
Creating a new Mind and Body Group at Sojourner House, Program Assistant and Group Facilitator, Tara Irwin has partnered with the community to bring worthwhile experiences to the women in the program. In just the first few months of the group, residents have practiced guided meditation, visited a Himalayan Salt Cave and attended a T'ai Chi class at Still Mountain T'ai Chi and Chi Kung. Teacher Jesse Prentiss from Still Mountain donated an introductory course for the residents, in which the women were taught various slow movement postures that facilitated in full body stretching and relaxation. Mr. Prentiss also provided a basic lesson on the history of T'ai Chi. "T'ai Chi is an ancient form of exercise that blends physical movement with deep meditative breathing in order to boost … [Read more...] about Sojourner House Residents Learn the Art of T’ai Chi