With the holidays being a busy time, don't forget about what you need to do for you. Sometimes it is reaching out to a fellow group member or sometimes it is just time for yourself. What I call my alone time is, Judy time. My Judy time is going to a coffee shop and just being on my own.
Judy

As Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's approach, this can be a very stressful time and also lead to stressful situations. The Naranon Program can work when you work it. Sometimes we keep our anonymity which is important to us, from friends and family members that are not immediate family. When gathered around at yet another party, we learn of others that are struggling with addiction within their family or friends, I feel sometimes like the puppy who hears the word treat, my ears start listening very carefully on what someone is going through. At this moment is a personal decision to talk about the Naranon program. A lot of times we think of outreach as in putting up informational tables, calling schools, reaching out to rehab centers, etc. Sometimes the outreach can be across the street, over the fence, enjoying the office Christmas party, church members, etc. As it is up to each individual to do outreach, it is up to you to decide if you want to talk about Naranon, sometimes you can leave yourself out there. I personally decided awhile back that I just don't care who knows that I belong to Naranon, I do not tell who the addict is because that would break their anonymity. Enjoy the holidays and if you are getting to stressed out point, reach out to other Naranon members. The Medina group actually had numbers out for members who needed to talk on Thanksgiving Day. Addiction and being a loved one dealing with addiction does not take a holiday.
Happy Turkey Day to All.
Judy

Our group has found that there are several events posted in the newspaper, online, Facebook just to name a few. I go into events in Medina county in Google also. These can range from health fairs to public information. I find the number or email address on who is running the event and contact them. Most of these events are free to set up a table, we did run into a health event where the table was $235, so we bypassed that. The members of the Naranon, Hope for Today group, hands me the events and I go through them. The only item I tell anyone who wants to help at a Naranon table that you will lose your anonymity, at this time most members care about getting the word out, that you don't need to go through this alone. Outreach packet available at: Naranon family groups.
Judy

When I had thought of jails before, I thought of other 12 step groups going in. When I was in Dayton OCNA (Ohio Convention of Narcotic Anonymous a few years ago, I was approached by a NA member when he knew about the Naranon meeting being there. He asked me if I had reached out to our county jail, I had said no. He gave me the name and number of the contact there and said that they had been interested for awhile about the family members.  I called when I came home, scheduled a meeting thinking they will not be interested, I spent 45 minutes there and it was very positive. With 80% of the people in Medina County Jail in due to drug issues, she thought Naranon would be a positive. I gave her pamphlets, which are displayed when you walk into the jail and our group donated a SESH book. I then asked within the group would anyone be interested in going to the jail and sharing the Naranon message, I had a volunteer, she went to jail for training and now speaks to the inmates the Naranon message. My point is even though we may think of places that would not be open to the Naranon, you just never know. So even though you are not talking to families, from what I have heard from our out reach person who goes there, is that Naranon is received very well there.
Judy