On June 4th, the residents of the Women’s Program joined other volunteers to clean the Barton Springs Pool. Since recent flooding caused the pool to be closed, the women helped with weeding flowerbeds, aerating around trees, replacing washed away mulch, and relocating flood debris.
From experience, I knew that the women would start the day unsure about what to expect, but by the end of the day would feel grateful to have been of service in such a tangible way. At BRC Recovery, being of service to others is a large part of our culture as well as the culmination of working the twelve steps. Through service projects such as this, the women begin to see that the spirit of service extends to areas outside of the recovery fellowship, to the broader community. And they gain real experience in the benefit of “getting out of oneself,” as a remedy to the selfishness and self-centeredness that fuel our disease.
The staff and volunteer coordinators of Barton Springs Pool always appreciate having BRC participate in these “1st Thursday” pool cleanings. They explain that having large group show up allows them to complete a considerable amount of work and they invariably comment on how our residents are hardworking and diligent. These comments reflect the kind of character and habits that we strive to develop throughout our program.
It is an honor to be a part of the Women’s Program and to play a small role in helping other women recover. I love participating in service projects such as the Barton Springs Pool cleaning and watching our residents demonstrate that recovery from addiction and alcoholism is possible and of benefit to the community.
Laura Edwards
BRC Women’s Program Coordinator
BRC Recovery