Every August, Fellowship Hall hosts a conference to celebrate recovery with hundreds of alumni from our treatment programs and their recovery allies, family members and friends who support their dedication and work to remain in long-term recovery.
This year, Mark D serves as the conference Voice, leading a group of committed volunteers in putting together the program for Conference, setting the theme, and giving their time and talents to pull the event together. This year’s theme, Expect A Miracle, is how Mark describes his recovery experience.
Mark can recall every detail of the moment he had his first drink, down to the color of the cup he used to steal the beverage from his uncle’s fridge at just nine years old. From that moment on, substances would hold a vice grip on his life for decades, until he would reach a point where he had nothing—and no one—left to lose.
As is usually the case, Mark was unaware that he was on his way to rock bottom. After a series of injuries, opiates entered his life – which led to an out-of-control spiral. “I came home one day and the electricity had been shut off,” Mark remembers. It wasn’t long before he had lost everything – his home, his car, his children, and his reality.
Family members attempted an intervention and after a month of avoiding them after the encounter, Mark took his las drink on December 17, 2015. It was after he completed treatment that Mark moved to Greensboro into an Oxford House. He was given the number of a Fellowship Hall alum, Jerry S, who welcomed Mark and took him to meetings for the next two weeks. “I dove in feet first. I loved AA from the very first meeting,” Mark shares.
With the help of his sponsor, Mark began volunteering at Fellowship Hall, driving guests to meetings and looking forward to attending conference each year. One thing he has learned since getting sober is that he expected a miracle, and recovery delivered with a wealth of new friendships, a new lease on life, and gratitude for friends, a home, a job he loves, and the opportunity to help others find the gift of being clean and sober.
Make plans to join us for this year’s conference and come expecting a miracle. The shared experiences and fellowship will strengthen and encourage you in establishing your recovery over the long haul. Register now for this year’s conference, August 6-9, 2021.
Fellowship Hall is a 99-bed, private, not-for-profit alcohol and drug treatment center located on 120 tranquil acres in Greensboro, N.C. We provide treatment and evidence-based programs built upon the Twelve-Step model of recovery. We have been accredited by The Joint Commission since 1974 as a specialty hospital and are a member of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. We are committed to providing exceptional, compassionate care to every individual we serve.