The Urgent Need for the Renewal Center of the South

The Renewal Center of the South is conceived to meet an urgent need within the 12 Step Community: the need for a place of spiritual refuge and intensive, twenty-four hours-a-day, spiritual fellowship which will be always available, whenever needed.

Various 12-Step weekend retreats and roundups abound and help to meet these needs. But how often do we hear our friends say: “I was just hanging on until the ___ conference weekend.” We need a place to be there always, not something we have available only two weekends a year.

Our Renewal Center is, therefore, NOT a luxury. It is not a “sober resort,” something which would be “nice” but is not urgently needed.

We have stressed that RCS is not any type of treatment facility. But it is a fact that our recovery depends upon our spiritual state and that continued spiritual dis-ease can lead to relapse. In purely practical terms, therefore, many, many members have been saved from possible relapse by being able to spend a few days in the intense Twelve-Step atmosphere of the Hazelden Renewal Center. We also, obviously, function in the same way. In times of real spiritual and emotional travail just “going to more meetings” may not be enough. An intense twenty-four hour a day environment, free from the daily responsibilities of life, may be needed for us to reach out to others and down into the spiritual resources of the Program.

The various 12 Step Fellowships, by their traditions, do not own property. Therefore Twelve-Step members form separate non-profit corporations to carry out activities and functions requiring property and facilities (for example, the many “AA clubs” throughout the country).That is exactly how we view RCS. RCS provides a facility, a piece of property, where that type of different, more intense Twelve-Step experience can happen.

Such a place is urgently needed. Think back over the times you could have used such a place, or the people you sponsor could have. RCS can help change lives. We now have our own place—which will always be there at affordable rates and just a phone call away.

We operate RCS with that SENSE OF URGENCY.